Help me
by HermioneLumos
Summary: Linda is struggling to deal with her sisters death, after Denise overdosed on heroin. How will she cope? Follow her through the ups and downs...
1. Chapter 1

Never in a million years did she expect her sister to be wheeled into the ED that she worked in. Never.

Her sister was a person that always used to do well in school. Her sister was someone that she could look up to. A real inspiration. Until her life turned completely upside down. Used to Denise getting A grades, Linda was surprised when she came home with her first C. This wasn't like her sister at all, not after achieving straight A's the year before.

Never had Denise got into trouble. Never had she had a detention. She was always doing her homework, revising, until her mother got called into the principles office. Turned out that she had been found in possession of drugs, or more specifically, Herion. Linda was shocked. She thought her sister was always perfect, the perfect role model. But now? It had changed. It surprised everyone that the good girl had the drugs on hand. Linda remembered Denise trying to deny that they were hers, and tried to blame Linda. This shocked her, and Linda could never look at her the same way again.

Why did she blame Linda? She knew that the drugs weren't hers, but no one would believe her, so Linda got the bad end of the stick. Again, now, watching Denise being wheeled in, she felt that same feeling.

From the time that Linda got the blame, Denise had been giving Linda the drugs to look after, which got her in loads of trouble when her room got cleaned.  
"Why didn't you hide them?" Denise would shout, as she could no longer have her long awaited fix. Linda would always cry. What had happened to her inspirational sister, the one she could look up to?

Linda didn't know why everyone was still blaming her for the drugs. She got called names at school, because a rumour had spread that she used drugs. This lowered her self confidence dramatically. Linda now never went out with her friends, her parents didn't know what to do with her. Eventually all this stress and hassle led to the self harm.

She took a look at her sister in Resus, then lifted her sleeves to reveal the scars that her sister had caused, making anger course through her veins. Why was she the one to blame? Maybe this was all Karma? Bad things do happen to bad people, after all.

So Denise began bringing home dodgy new boyfriends, ones that looked to be teenage thugs, but really, she knew that Denise was using them for the drugs. Linda was surprised that no one noticed the dark bags under her eyes, the fact that she wasn't eating and was now extremely skinny, and mostly that her school grades had gone down to D's and E's... She even got detentions every other day.

Linda would plead with their parents that it wasn't her using the drugs, but they wouldn't believe her. There was no way that their perfect daughter Denise would do such a thing. But Linda would always bring up the grades, the red pin pricks at her elbows, the skeletal figure, but no one would listen.

But then, after years of that treatment, her parents found the red pin pricks in her arms, and it all came out from there. Linda, stuck in her bedroom, could hear all the shouting. She would cry, knowing that drastic action would be taken. Maybe Denise would get sick, or put into care. Linda didn't like the way Denise treated her, but after all, they were sisters, and she still loved her even if she didn't show it.

Linda stopped staring at her scarred arms as Lenny walked over, and she put her sleeves back down to her wrist, trying to hide them from him.  
"Are you okay?" Lenny asked, seeing Lindas white blanched face. Linda didn't say anything, but looked towards resus with watering eyes. That was Denise, that her collegues were doing compressions on. Lenny then looked through the glass.. Lenny didn't even know that was. "Do you know them?"  
"No." Linda replied, trying to pull herself together, and walked into the staffroom, leaving Lenny stood there, confused. He didn't want to follow as he knew she wanted to be alone.

She looked out the window of the door and saw that Lenny had gone, and she went back to look at what was happening. She saw Zoe still doing compressions, but to her horror, they all stood back, and looked towards the clock, as the flatline sounded throughout the room.  
"Time of death, 15:27." Zoe sighed, and took of her gloves. The clanging of the doors made her jump.  
"No." Linda ran in, tears streaming down her face. "No."  
"Linda!" Lenny asked, running in after her. "Whats wrong?"  
"She can't be dead." Linda shook her head, and began the compressions herself.  
"Linda, stop." Lenny said, trying to pull her hands away.  
"No." Linda said, tugging back. "No."  
"Linda..." Lenny said, confused as to why Linda was upset. "She's gone."

He watched Linda slowly stop the compressions, and the room filled with silence. Zoe, Nick, and Sam watched on in disbelief. What was going on?

Linda took a step back, and sank to her knees and put her head in her hands as her body wracked with sobs. She felt someone put their arms around her, but she felt too confined. She pushed them away, leaving the room at a sprint, leaving her collegues completly and utterly baffled.

She ran into the staff room and threw herself on to the sofa, sobbing. After all these years, Denise had finally pushed her over the edge. Linda felt like she had suffered more than Denise, at the pain she was feeling now. But she knew in her heart that that wasn't true. Denise had to live with the fact that Linda was getting all the blame, but she acted like she didn't care.

Feeling drained, Linda's sobs finally calmed down, and silent tears were now streaming down her face. How could her sister do this to herself? She knew what the drugs were doing to her, but she carried on anyway. She had been using drugs for twelve years now, but she had finally cracked. It looked like she had overdosed on the Heroin that she always had. Linda wished she could bring her sister back, even though they didn't get on. Linda always knew she needed help, so why didn't she get her help sooner?

Linda grabbed hold of her other wrist and dug her nails into it, liking the feel of the pain. She dug in harder, which made her cry out in pain, but it drew blood, which is what she wanted. This is what her sister had done to her, made her emotionally unstable.

She put her sleeves down to cover the nail indentations, but the blood seeped through the thin, grey, cotton of her cardigan. Linda cried out in frustration. She wasn't going to be able to hide this from her collegues. She layed down, knowing that most of her energy had gone, due to her crying. She shut her eyes, and soon enough, her mind was over taken by the flashbacks of her teenage years, watching her sister join the world of the addicts.


	2. Chapter 2

Linda woke to someone fiddling with her left arm. Her eyes shot open, and instinctively pulled away. She knew the self harm scars were there, and she asn't going to let anyone see them.  
"Sorry." Lenny said, seeing her awake. "I saw that you were bleeding..."  
"Its fine." Linda said, pulling her cardigan over her wrists.  
"You know, i'm here if you want to talk about it.."  
"I said, i'm fine." Linda said coldly, stood up, and walked out of the room to get her scrubs on since she was working today. She always wore a long top under neath to cover up the scars.

She didn't know how she was going to cope today, knowing her sister was gone. Her eyes teared up at just the thought of it. But she kept telling herself; Maybe Denise would be be better off now. No more drugs, no more pain. But it gave Linda pain, knowing Denise was gone. She threw her patient notes down on to the bed in frustration, making Tess jumo next to her.  
"Sorry." Linda muttered, and walked to the ladies loos.

She shut herself in a cubicle and sat on the lid, hoping she would get some peace and be able to think.

So, what was she going to do now that Denise was gone? Would her parents come crying back to her? No. She wasn't going to let them. They gave her a bad child hood, and she didn't want them risking her adult life too. But what was going to happen to Denise's two kids? Put into care?

The trouble that Denise had caused was huge. She caused herself more trouble than she was worth. Her kids would have loved her, and now they must be wrecks like Linda while they try to find something to do until someone could care for them. It must be horrible, sat in a care home, feeling like no one wants you...

Lindas heart began to beat harder and faster, and it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest and on to the floor. She missed her sister so much, even though she knew Denise didn't treat her like a sister. They were still related, and Linda would always try to look after her. She did try to hide the drugs for Denise, but it was unlucky that her parents found them. She remembered Denise shouting at her again, and then Linda found herself sobbing again.  
"Linda, are you alright?" It was Tess. She had probably followed her in there, because its obvious that someone is wrong.  
"Yeah... yeah. Im fine." Linda said, flushing the toilet even though she didn't use it. She wanted to make it look like she had used it.

She wiped her eyes, and tried to make herself more presentable which was hard because there was no mirror. She opened the door and stepped out to see Tess still there.  
"Why don't you take the day off?" Tess said, but Linda thought this was a bad idea. It would give her too much free time to think about her life, when she really wanted not to.  
"No, Tess. Id like to stay." Linda sniffed.  
"Are you sure?" Tess put her hand on Lindas shoulder, making Linda flinch. "Sorry." Tess said, feeling her flinch. Linda didn't reply to her, as she was trying to concentrate on keeping the tears back. "You know where I am, if you ever need to talk."  
"Thanks." Linda said, but she knew that she wasn't going to go and seek help from her.

She turned her head to see Tess walk out and take one last look at her, and Linda put leaned on the sink and splashed water on her face. She loved the cold feeling on her face, but she dried her face and waited until her face had gone back to its original colour, and the red rings around her eyes had gone. It took a while though, and she was still there after ten minutes. It looked like the rings would be staying there for a while.

She reluctantly stepped out of the toilets, and went to try and get on with her Job.

Meanwhile, Lenny was still wondering why Linda's behavior had dramatically changed. She was fine until that patient came is. What was it about that patient that was making her so upset, paranoid, and cranky? He was going to find out, some way or another, because he wanted to help her. He liked Linda, more than a friend, and he was determined to find out if she liked him too. He was going to get to the bottom of this.

And what was up with the blood on her cardigan? Did she do that? No, Linda wouldn't. She was so lovely, she wouldn't self harm without a reason...

He walked into the room that had the patient in, and he picked up her notes, looking for anything that Linda might recognise...

Drug addict... No. Linda wasn't a drug addict.

Two kids... The poor kids!

Name. Denise Andrews.

Andrews? Did he read that right? Denise Andrews? She must have been related to Linda... Why else would she get so upset? He carried on reading, and he found the list of relatives.

Polly Andrews: Mother.  
James Andrew: Father.  
Linda Andrews: Sister.

Lenny's face fell. So this was Linda's sister? Why didn't she tell him? No wonder she was so upset. He would have to talk to her, or try and get her to talk at least. She didn't want anything to do with him earlier. They were such good friends, but today she was just blocking him out. He decided he would get her on her own in a cubicle, and ask her why she didn't tell him. Now looking at Denise's body, he could definitley see the resemblance between them.

He walked out, leaving the patient notes behind, and found Linda in cubicles.

Linda saw him looking in at her and her patient, and she sighed with frustration. Why wouldn't he leave her alone? She wanted to be alone, and not have people trying to run after her.  
"Staff nurse Andrews. A word please?" He said, and pulled Linda out of the cubicle, pulling on her left arm and she cried out in pain. "Sorry. Just please, come in here."

He pulled her into an empty cubicle, and Linda's eyes stang with tears. She was rubbing her arm to try and sooth it.  
"What?" Linda wanted to know.  
"Please, tell me whats wrong." She head the begging in Lenny's voice. Maybe he really was worried about her.  
"Nothing is wrong." Linda said, but her voice faded. She wasn't fooling anyone anymore.  
"Okay. Then tell me. When were you going to tell me thatyou had a sister?"

He saw Lindas face scrunch up with pain from hearing her name, and he instantly regretted bringing up the subject.


	3. Chapter 3

He saw Linda begin to cry, tears falling thick and fast. He felt bad for bringing it up, but this whole thing needed to be sorted. So, he pulled her into his arms to try and give her some comfort.  
"Im sorry." Lenny said, which made her sob louder. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

Linda wanted to reply, but she physically couldn't. She tried to make the tears stop falling, but they wouldn't stop. She wiped them away, willing them to stop, but they just wouldnt. She hated feeling weak infront of her collegue, and the person she loved...  
"Shh." She heard him through her sobs, which calmed her down slightly, but it wasn't enough to stop them. "Do you want to talk about it?"

It took her quite a while to answer, as she didn't know whether to talk or not. She had kept it a secret for so long, but now that was out the window.  
"I don't know." She said, after thinking about it for a minute or two. "I don't know."  
"Well, at least let me sort out your arm. It must hurt." Lenny said, and rolled up her sleeve. Linda didn't care anymore. It was bound to come out at some point.

She saw his face, which made her turn away in embarrassment. She didn't want anyone to know that she had self harmed in the past, let alone him. He was, you could say, her best friend.  
"Oh, Linda." Lenny said, looking at the fresh nail marks and the old scars. There were so many of them. Just those two simple words made the tears fall fast again.  
"I couldn't help it." She cried. "I couldn't."  
"You can talk to me about it you know. I won't judge you." Lenny said, trying to understand what was happening.  
"You won't?" Linda looked up at him with watery eyes. She felt a connection, there and then.  
"No. I promise." He said, also feeling the connection. He knew, in those few seconds, that she liked him too. He was right.  
"It will be a long story." Linda tried to smile, but it felt like a feeble effort.  
"I don't care." Lenny said, smiling back. "Im here to listen."

She didn't want to explain, as she knew it would make her cry, and the pain would flood her body again. She didn't want that to happen, but she needed to speak about it.  
"Well. As you know, Denise," Linda paused for a second, holding back more tears. "she's my sister. She was perfect. Always getting good grades in her exams, and I looked up to her, as any little sister would." She saw Lenny nod, which encouraged her to keep going. "Then one day, my mum was called to the school as Denise was found in possession of drugs."  
"What drug?" Lenny asked, intrigued.  
"Heroin." Linda said. "The worst part was, was that she told them all that they were mine."  
"No way." Lenny shook his head.  
"Listen." She said. "They believed her."  
"How could they?" Lenny said, getting angry.  
"I don't know." Linda shook her head, tears forming in her eyes again. "From then on, she made me hide the drugs for her. I didn't want to, but she was my sister. I couldn't say no."  
"Why not?" Lenny asked.  
"Because I looked up to her. She was the best sister I had, until that day." Linda told him. "My room got cleaned, and they found the drugs there, and my mum was furious with me. She took them off me, and Denise got angry with me, shouting bacause I didn't hide them, and she didn't get her fix."  
"She doesn't sound like a nice sister." Lenny said.  
"She was, until all this. She got the best grades and everything, and I got the worst. My parents favourited her, and they weren't afraid to show it."  
"Parents shouldn't have favourite kids." Lenny shook his head. "How do you know that they favourited her?"  
"They were thrilled with everything she did, gave her money and presents for praise, when all I got was a 'Well Done' or 'Cool'. No money, no presents." Linda sighed, as a tear slipped down her face. "Denise even started bringing dodgy boys home, who were also druggies. You could tell they were addicts. They had the pin pricks on their arms. My parents never saw them though. I knew the boys that she bought back were giving her drugs, it as obvious. So I told my parents. I screamed at them to check her arms, and they finally gave in because they couldn't deal with my screaming. Note that this happened years after Denise started the drugs..."  
"So, years after Denise started the drugs, you begged your parents to check her?"  
"Yeah." Linda confirmed. "Thats when I began doing that." She showed him her arms. They were covered in scars from deep cuts Linda had put their in her past.  
"Oh." Lenny didn't have anything to say to her.  
"Finally, after me screaming at my parents, they checked Denise, and sure enough, they found the needle marks, the drugs. And they came back to me, saying sorry we didn't believe you, blah blah blah."  
"Just like that? After years of ignorance, they come crying back?" Lenny asked, fuming because of Lindas parents.  
"Yep. But I wouldn't let them back in my life just like that. I showed them my arms, and I cried to them, and screamed at them, saying stuff like 'You did this to me!' which made them feel really bad, but made me feel really good. I showed them what they had done to me over the years, the self harm, told them abou thow they treated me, and I made them feel like crap, which I loved."  
"Im not surprised that you liked it." Lenny said. "Im glad you showed them."  
"I am too." Linda said, crying.  
"Let it out." Lenny said, letting her cry. "Continue whenever you can."

So after a few minutes of letting out the tears that she had held back, she began to feel more confident, and was able to carry on with her story.  
"So." Linda said, regaining Lenny's attention. "Denise left, and I was left with my parents, who I absolutely hated because they drove me to this." She pointed to her arm. "I hadn't seen Denise around, and I only saw her last night, when she was brought in. I was scared for her. Even though she put me through all that, she was my sister. My only sister."  
"I see." Lenny said, putting his hand on her knee to offer comfort.  
"I couldn't bare to see her die." She shook her head as she tried to stop the tears from flowing again. The memories of last night flooded her mind. The next thing she knew, she was standing up, and running out of the cubicle.  
"Linda?" Lenny called after her.  
"Im sorry." Linda called, running out of the ED to get some fresh air. The thoughts were making her slightly dizzy.

Lenny had followed her out, and found her leaning against the wall, pale as a ghost.  
"Are you alright?" He asked, looking right into her eyes.  
"No." She whispered, as the dizziness increased. She hated her sister right now, for making her feel like that.  
"Sit down." Lenny instructed, seeing her slide sideways on the wall, and he help her upright. She shook her head. "Cant." She whispered, seeing the blackness begin to show in her vision. She smiled inside, craving the feelings of unconsiousness. She wanted to get away from this work for a minute.  
"Sam!" Lenny called. He knew she would help him.

Before Sam got there, Linda's vision had blurred and almost all was dark. She willed for it to continue, and soon enough, it fully clouded her vision. She felt herself sink down the wall, and heard Lenny calling her name, and then she heard someone else running to her, which was probably Sam. But then, she heard nothing, and sat in the unconsious state that she wanted to stay in forever, where there was no pain, no grief, no anger.


	4. Chapter 4

"Stop it!" Linda would scream at her sister, seeing her inject. "Don't you know what you're doing to yourself!"  
"Shut up." Her sister spat, and continued, and Linda started crying, and ran into her room. So much for having a sister to look up to. She would hear her sister sigh when she felt the effects of the drug, and Linda would always block her ears, so she wouldn't have to hear it, but she would always pull out some scissors and slice at her own skin to keep her mind off it. The pain gave her something to think about instead of her sisters drug use.

She would listen at her door to see when she had finished, and Linda would leg it down the stairs and cry to her parents that she had done it again. As always, they would say 'Don't be stupid!' and tell her so leave them alone. Linda would always end up crying, and her sister would laugh at her.

She would cry herself to couldn't she have a happy life, instead of one full of worry for her sister, and one where her parents didn't care about her at all. She would go to school, tired because of crying, her teachers wouldn't ask her questions because they knew she wouldn't answer. After all, they thought she was the one doing the drugs.

So Linda would sit at the back of the classroom with no friends to talk to, all because her sister told everyone that the drugs were hers. Linda did get good grades though, because she tried to concentrate at school as it would keep her mind off of her home life. This was pretty much the only positive thing Linda had at school. The grades.

Her grandmother was more understanding. Linda could talk to her about everything, because she would always listen. She even believed Linda when she told her that it was Denise who had the drugs, as she had seen the marks on her arm, her becoming skinny and the weird guys she bought home. That was the only friend Linda really had, if you could call a grandmother a friend. She was the only person that would listen, and believe. Her grandmother died when Linda was fifteen though, and Linda was a wreck after. Her only friend, gone. Linda was now officially alone.

Linda was surprised to find herself with her grandmother in unconsiousness. It was good to talk to her again. She had missed her greatly, and needed to talk to someone that had always been there for her.  
"Hey, sweetie." Her grandma would say.  
"Hey grandma!" Linda said, and ran up to her. "I missed you so much."  
"Missed me? I never left." She replied, as she recieved a hug from her grand child.  
"Did you hear?"  
"About Denise?" She asked. "Yes. Sadly."  
"Why is it everyone I love disappears?" Linda cried.  
"I don't know, sweetie." Her grandmother hugged her. "I will always be here."  
"Unlike my parents." Linda muttered. "They hate me."  
"No, they don't." She replied.  
"Yes, they do!" Linda said. "It was Denise Denise Denise. Never Linda." She looked up to her grandmothers eyes.  
"They loved you. You were their child."  
"The one they would have been better off without." Linda sighed through her tears. "They made me feel like I was unwanted."  
"Im sure they didn't mean to." Her grandmother replied.  
"But they did, Grandma!" Linda cried. "They didn't show me any praise as they thought I was the addict. They didn't want me near anyone. I was never on drugs, and I never will be."  
"You tell them that."  
"I always do." She cried into her grandmothers shoulder. "But they never listen."  
"They do listen."  
"But they don't believe." Linda murmured.  
"They might not believe, but you know the truth."  
"Yes. And hopefully they do now." Linda said. "Denise's petiant notes show all the information they need. When they come crying back to me, Im not going to listen. Im going to give them a piece of their own medicine."  
"Good for you." Her grandmother approved. "You show them what it was like."  
"Im going to." Cheering up, thanks to her grandmother encouragement. Linda felt herself feel lighter.

"I will see you soon, darling." Her grandmother said.  
"No, I don't want to leave!" Linda cried, clinging on to her grandmother. "No." Linda said, as she looked at her hand. It was becoming fuzzy.  
"I love you." She said.  
"I love you too!" Linda cried. "Don't let me leave!"  
"I have to." Her grandma said. "I will always be there." She pointed to her heart.  
"Ill miss you." Linda said, wiping the tears away, before it became dark again.

Lenny and Sam were outside the ED, getting Linda to wake up. Lenny was worried. All this stress was too much for Linda.  
"Linda, come on, wake up." Lenny said, as he tapped her face. He noticed that tears was falling down her face.  
"Lenny, she's crying." Sam said, kneeling down, concerned. "What happened?"  
"Its not my story to tell." Lenny said, and turned his attention to his unconscious collegue and friend. "Linda?"  
"Grandma..." Linda whispered. "Don't let me leave..."  
"Grandma?" Sam asked, baffled. "Linda, can you open your eyes for me?"  
"Denise..." Linda said. "Grandma it was Denise..."  
"What is she going on about?" Sam asked.  
"As I said, its not my story to tell." Lenny said, and put his cold hand on Lindas forehead. Her eyes shot open, and she began hyperventilating. "Linda, its alright."  
"No its not." She cried, putting her hands to cover her face. Her sleeve fell down to her elbow when she put her hands up. Sam gasped.  
"What happened?" She asked, in concern. Linda immediately put her sleeves back up.  
"Nothing." Linda said through her tears. "Nothing."  
"Its not nothing." Sam said.  
"Sam, please stop." Lenny said, pleading with her. "She is going through a lot at the minute."  
"Sorry." Sam said, confused. "Lets get you into a cubicle." She took hold of one of Lindas wrists, but Linda pulled away, and looked scared.  
"Come on Linda." Lenny said, trying to help her up. She cooperated with Lenny, and let him take her into a cubicle. Lenny was really worried for her health. She collapses, self harms, and flinches at anyones touch.

On the way to the cubicle, they came across Lindas parents. Lenny didn't want them anywhere near Linda.  
"Linda, sweetheart, what happened to you?" Her mother asked with worried eyes.  
"You. Stay away from me." Linda spat, as she walked into the cubicle.  
"Linda!" Her mother called.  
"No. Leave me alone." Linda said, as Lenny helped her on to the bed, and walked over to her parents.

"I suggest you leave Linda for a bit. She told me what happened." Lenny said, trying to control his anger towards them.  
"What did we do?" she asked.  
"You know too well what you put her through in the past decade." Lenny said, and walked away before his anger got the better of him.


	5. Chapter 5

The ED went silent after the outburst. Nick decided to speak up over the silence that had been created.  
"Um. Back to work everyone." He said, and everyone just stood there. "Now, please." Zoe walked over to him. She, too, was confused as to what just happened to her friend.  
"Is Linda okay?" She asked, after seeing her come in, crying.  
"I don't know. She hasn't been herself since last night." Nick shook his head, also confused.  
"I will go and see if she is okay." Zoe decided, and walked into Lindas cubicle.

"Linda, are you okay?" Zoe asked, seeing her pale and shaking with sobs on the bed.  
"No, im not." Linda said, and continued to cry. She hated herself at the minute. Why was she letting this get to her so much?  
"Do you want to talk?" Zoe asked.  
"No, im sorry Zoe." She shook her head. "I don't think I could explain it all again. Ask Lenny. He will tell you."  
"Lenny?" Zoe said. "Can you tell me whats up with Linda?"  
"Its not my story to tell..." Lenny said.  
"Its fine." Linda said, she wanted her friend to know her story, but she would break down again if she told it herself.  
"Are you sure?" Lenny asked.  
"Yeah." Linda nodded, and wiped her eyes. Linda didn't want everyone to know, but Zoe was a good friend, so she wanted her to know. Linda wasn't sure how she would react though. She was hoping she would react like Lenny would. She just wanted to be alone at the minute. Relax.

Lenny pulled Zoe into the staff room, and explained everything to his collegue. Zoe gasped when he mentioned her sister.  
"Since when does she have a sister."  
"Well, had." He said, and continued to tell the story, and by the end, Zoe was nearly in tears. She couldn't believe all that had happened to Linda. She was always so nice, but she had a terrible childhood.  
"I can't believe that all happened to her!" Zoe said, blinking back tears. "How has she managed to cope?"  
"Self harm." Lenny grimaced. He hated thinking of Linda's arm.  
"She self harms?" Zoe gasped again, eyes filling once again with tears.  
"Yeah. You should see her left arm..." Lenny said, feeling sick at the memory. "It looks bad."  
"Im not surprised." Zoe said. "So all this happened because of her sister?"  
"Yeah." Lenny said. "And now that Denise has gone, Linda is a wreck."  
"But Denise caused all this!"  
"Thats what I thought, but Linda said that she looked up to her before all this happened."  
"Aww." Zoe said, wiping the tears out of her eyes before they fell. "But now her sister is gone..."  
"Yeah." Lenny said sadly. "And the worst thing is, her parents want to talk to her again."  
"Oh so thats what happened..." Zoe nodded.  
"Yeah, she got all worked up when she told me, so she wanted me to tell you. And I see what she means when she says its a hard story to tell. She even fainted out there. Thats why she is in a cubicle."  
"She fainted?" Zoe asked, shaking her head. "To be honest im not surprised."  
"Me either, but it scared me." Lenny sighed. "She doesn't want anything to do with her parents."  
"I don't know how she managed without her parents. I wouldn't with out mine."  
"She hasn't coped well, obviously." Lenny said.  
"Well, i'm going to see if she is okay." Zoe stood up, looked in the mirror, and walked out.

"Oh, Linda." Zoe said, when she saw her still crying. Linda was rubbing her arm. "Do you want me to sort that out for you?"  
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Linda said, worrying. She didn't want people to know.  
"No. I promise." Zoe reassured, and Linda reluctantly held out her arm. Zoe gently rolled the sleeve up, which made Linda winced, and Zoe's eyes nearly filled with tears again at all of the scars. Some were brighter than others, which showed the self harm had never really stopped.  
"Im sorry." Linda whispered. "I couldn't stop it!"  
"Its okay, its okay." Zoe said, getting some wiped ready to clean the fresh cuts. "This might sting..." Zoe said, and applied the wiped to her arm.  
"Ahh." Linda said, as her arm stang a lot. Zoe soon stopped and wrapped it in bandages. "Did Lenny tell you?" She whispered.  
"Yeah." Zoe said, sitting on the edge of Linda's bed. "Im sorry about your sister."  
"Don't be. Its better that she is gone. I mean, not for my benefit, but for hers." Linda said, praising herself for being brave.  
"I understand." Zoe said. "Your parents are out there. Are you sure you don't want them to come in?"  
"No." Linda shook her head. "Wait. Yeah. Let them in. But stay with me. Please." Linda asked.  
"Sure." Zoe said, and went to get her parents. They came back in, and her mother was crying.

"Linda, im sorry for everything." She began.  
"Why?" Linda said, angrily.  
"We treated you like crap compared to Denise."  
"Yeah. Yeah you did." Linda said. "How could you not believe me when I said she took the drugs, and not me? I continuously got bullied, and ignored by everyone. Including my own parents."  
"We are so sorry, darling." Her dad said.  
"Don't sorry me now." Linda said. "Its too late. You blamed me for the drugs. It was never me. I never touched them. Once. And look what you drove me to." She lifted up her sleeves, making her parents cringe like the last time she showed them. "You made me do this. You never helped me. You made me feel like I wasn't worth anything."  
"You are worth everything!" Her mother cried.  
"Yeah, maybe now that Denise is gone." Linda said coldly. "But never before."  
"Thats not true." Her father shook her head.  
"Then where was my praise? When did you ever say you loved me? Never." Linda said, fuming.  
"We did." Her mother argued.  
"When. Tell me when." Linda got silence. "What did I tell you? You made me so miserable! I had no friends in school."  
"But your grades were so great!" Her father said.  
"How would you know? You never looked at my report cards." Linda said. "And, the only thing I could do was bury myself in my studies. That was the only place I was good enough."  
"Darling..." Her mother began.  
"No. Its true. You made me feel worthless. I probably could have ran away and no one would come after me."  
"Its not true." Her mother said.  
"Yes. It is! How can you stand there and deny it! You barely ever spoke to me. I think this is the longest conversation we have ever had!" The room was filled with silence, and Linda began crying again. Zoe saw her getting really upset.  
"I think its best if you leave..." Zoe said, ushering her parents out of the cubicle.  
"The only person that ever believed in my was grandma! And you wouldn't even let me go to her funeral!" Linda shouted after them."You basically ruined my life!"

She sank into her bed as her body filled with sobs once more. How could her parents expect to walk straight back into her life, when they ruined her childhood, and now her adulthood? Linda would never think of them as good parents, favouriting the addict over the goody two shoes.

Zoe walked back in, sat down on the bed and hugged her friend. Zoe felt extremely emotional after what she just watched. Even Zoe hated Linda's parents now. Zoe wouldn't like it if her parents did that to her.  
"Look, im going to get you a coffee, okay?" Zoe said, before getting up off the bed, and seeing Lenny peep through the curtain. He walked in and took Zoe's place on the bed. Zoe walked out, and Lenny put his arms around Linda, and Linda did the same. She really felt comfortable in his arms. She began to feel tired, and had began to fall to sleep.  
"I love you." She whispered, and Lenny was shocked.  
"I love you too." He replied, before rocking her gently so she would sleep, safely in his arms.


	6. Chapter 6

Lenny knew she was asleep because her breathing had become deep and even. He wanted to wait for a while, hold her forever in his arms because it felt so right, but he needed to get back to work otherwise Nick would Kill him. Zoe opened the curtain and saw Lenny holding Linda while she slept.  
"Sorry." Zoe whispered, smiling at the pair. They were so sweet, and would make a good couple.  
"Its fine." Lenny mouthed back, as he tried to gently put her into a lying down position. She didn't wake, as she was probably physically and mentally exausted.

"I didn't mean for you go get up and leave her..." Zoe said, thinking she gave Lenny the impression that she wanted to talk to him.  
"No, I know." He said. "I need to get back to work otherwise Nick would kill me."  
"Oh right, true." Zoe nodded, and she saw Linda's parents sat in the relatives room. She pointed. "Shall we talk to them?"  
"I think we should..." Lenny said, not trying to channel his anger through to them.

They walked over to the room, and Zoe was trying to figure out what to say to them. Why had they treated Linda like that? What made them love her less than Denise? Who favourites one of their children over the other? Zoe didn't want to be straight foreward, but this was her friend they were talking about.

"Mr and Mrs Andrews?" Zoe asked, and both of their heads shot round at once.  
"Yes? Is Linda alright?" Her mother asked.  
"Linda is fine." Zoe reassured. "We would just like to know what is going on with all of you. We know what Linda told us, but we would like to see your side of the story."  
"Why?" Her father asked.  
"Because it affecting one of my collegues, and my best friend." Zoe said, hoping they would listen. "I don't know how long this has been going on, but it is really not doing her any good."  
"Oh." Lindas mother said, tears in her eyes. "We do love her, we really do, but we thought she had the drugs. I even checked her room and found them."  
"Did you ever listen to Linda when she said they weren't hers?" Lenny asked.  
"Well, yes and no..." Her mother sounded very guilty. "I didn't believe that Denise had the drugs because she always got top grades, had loads of friends. but Lindas grades weren't the best until a few years after all that happened."  
"Did that not make you think that maybe she hadn't taken drugs?" Zoe asked.  
"It made me think she had stopped taken them, as the change was so sudden." Her father shook her head. "And Denise's dropped, but we thought this was because of the boyfriends."  
"It partly was." Lenny nodded. "Linda told us that Denise brought boyfriends home, but theyalso took drugs. She was getting the drugs off them."  
"How do you know for sure?" Her mother asked.  
"We don't. These were Lidna's obsevations throughout her teen years." Lenny said.  
"But Linda also told us that she asked you to check Denise's arms again and again but you wouldn't."  
"Because I still thought it was Linda doing the drugs!" Her mother cried. "I didn't think Denise would do that."  
"But it wouldn't hurt to check, right?" Lenny said, feeling his anger. "She also told us that you never praised her like you did Denise. Denise would get presents, money, and Linda wouldn't get any of that."  
"Because she always got better grades! It was a regular occurance then." Her father said.  
"Still, whats wrong with a little praise?" Zoe asked. "She said that the only reason her grades were so good, was that studying kept her mind off the self harm for a while. She would repeatedly study because she wouldn't self harm as much, and it also kept her mine off her sister."  
"Did she really say that?" Lindas mother said, a tear going down her face. She turned to her husband to find his face full of tears. "What have we done, James?" He couldn't answer the question.  
"Can we see her?" He whispered.  
"Not right now." Zoe shook her head. "She is sleeping." Zoe heard her mother let out a sob. "We will leave you alone for a little while. Lenny." Zoe said, getting him to stand up.  
"You will tell her this, right?" Linda's father asked.  
"I think its best she hears it from you." Zoe told him. "I will inform you when she wakes up."  
"Thank you." Linda's mother cried, and Zoe saw her lean into her husbands embrace as she left the room.

"That was hard." Zoe said, wiping her eyes as she nearly cried.  
"I know, tell me about it. I was getting so angry with them." Lenny said.  
"I wasn't angry, I was more upset about how their family lived for the past decade."  
"I was just angry. How could they do that to their child?" Lenny said, letting a bit of his anger out.  
"I don't know. Id never do it." Zoe shook her head. "But we know more now. We have to wait for Linda to wake up, and then tell her a bit of it, but get her parents to explain."  
"Yeah." Lenny nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He saw Zoe nearly cry again. "Come here you." He smiled, and hugged her playfully. She hugged him back and they were laughing.  
"You know how to cheer a girl up Dr Lyons." She laughed.  
"I know." He smirked, and walked in to Linda's cubicle to check on her.

She hadn't woken up yet, and Lenny was happy. She needed her rest after everything that happened that day. Lenny just wanted to take the pain out of her body and put it into his, to lessen it for her. He sighed, and because he couldn't bare to work without knowing she felt better, he stayed with her, and held her hand while she slept.  
"Dr Lyons, may I ask why you aren't working?" Nick said, and quickly quietened down, seeing Linda. "Is she alright?"  
"Well, depends on what you mean by alright." Lenny said. "She's been through a hell of a lot."  
"What do you mean?" Nick said, concerned for his collegue.  
"I can't tell you all of it." Lenny said. "Because its not my story to tell. But lets just say that the patient, Denise Andrews from last night, that was her sister."  
"Oh." Nick said. "I didn't know she had a sister."  
"Neither did we." Lenny shook his head. "She had a bad childhood with her."  
"Bad?" Nick asked. "Like how?"  
"Denise blaming her for using drugs when it was really her." Lenny said, and pointed to Lindas arm where the scars were visible, and Nick gasped.  
"Her sister caused that?" Nick asked.  
"Yeah, but I can't tell you anymore. I don't think she wants everyone to know."  
"I undersand." Nick said. "Stay here for as long as you need to."  
"Thanks Mr Jordan." Lenny said, and turned back round to Linda, and saw her move.

"Linda?" Lenny whispered, to see if she could here him.  
"What?" She asked, and opened her eyes. She couldn't remember falling asleep.  
"How are you feeling?" Lenny asked.  
"Okay I guess." She shrugged.  
"Do you remember what you said when you fell asleep on me?" Lenny asked.  
"I fell asleep on you?" Linda asked, surprised. "Sorry, no. I don't remember."  
"Well, you kinda said..."  
"Said...?" Linda asked.  
"You said that you loved me." Lenny whispered, looking at her.  
"I did?" Linda asked. "Oh."  
"Was it true?" Lenny asked. "Because, I kind of like you too."  
"You do?" Linda's face lit up. "You really do?"  
"Yeah." Lenny said, blushing. He was surprised, because she lept of the bed, and kissed him. He felt sparks run through him. He was relieved. He didn't know that she really felt that way. He thought it could ruin their friendship if she didn't feel the same,but she did, and Lenny was very thankful. He was the first to pull away.  
"You don't know how happy I am." Lenny smiled at Linda.  
"Me either, for the first time since I can remember." Linda smiled back. She finally felt some happiness there, but the pain from her childhood still remained.  
"Why don't I take you out for dinner tonight?" Lenny suggested, thinking it would cheer Linda up.  
"You would really take me out for dinner?" Linda asked.  
"Yeah, why not?" Lenny said.  
"That would be really nice." Linda smiled and began crying.  
"What?" Lenny asked, seeing her cry again. "Did I say something?"  
"No." Linda cried. "Im just so happy."  
"Aw." Lenny said, and pulled her closer into an embrace, and then her parents walked in.  
"Sorry. We will give you a minute." Lindas mother said, and left.  
"No, no." Lenny said, letting go of Linda.  
"Don't let go." She whispered.  
"I won't." He said, taking hold of her hand, and letting her parents enter the cubicle.


	7. Chapter 7

"What do you want?" Linda whispered to her parents that looked extremely guilty.  
"We want to apologise." Her mother began.  
"A bit late for that now, huh?" Linda said, anger visible in her face.  
"Would you please just hear us out?" Her mother said, trying to get Linda to listen. Lenny was holding Linda's hand still because he promised not to let go.  
"What is there to say?" Linda asked. "Its not like you can give me back my childhood."  
"No." Her mother shook her head in agreement. "But we can put it right now."  
"So what did you want to say?" Linda asked, needing to hear their side of the story. "Why did you treat me like crap for twelve years?"  
"We thought you were the one doing drugs because your grades were low." Polly Andrews said, closing her eyes as she knew she was so wrong.  
"But I told you I wasn't using them." Linda said. "Why would you think I would lie to you?"  
"Because Denises grades were high, and we believed her when she told us it was you." James Andrews replied, and Linda could see the pain in his face which made her feel better.  
"Did it ever hurt you to check her?" Linda asked, tears forming in her eyes. She didn't understand why her parents just didn't listen to her in the first place.  
"Because we didn't think Denise would do such a thing." Polly said.  
"And you thought I would?"  
"Well, you got into trouble at school, unlike her, so we thought that it was more likely you than her." James said.  
"But didn't you ever see my grades go up and hers come down?" Linda asked, hurt. She couldn't believe that her own parents thought she did drugs and didn't even bother checking her sister.  
"Yes, we thought that it was her boyfriends, taking her mind off her studies." James said.  
"Well, they were! They were supplying her with the drugs!" Linda raised her voice.  
"We didn't know!" Her mother said back. "We thought it was you!"  
"Why?" Linda asked. "Because Denise said it was me?"  
"No." James shook his head. "We found the drugs in your room. What did you expect us to think?"  
"I did tell you they were Denise's." Linda shook her head. "But once again you didn't listen."  
"We did listen." Polly said.  
"But you didn't believe." Linda whispered again. "You could have taken us for tests."  
"We didn't think to because we thought it was you." James said.  
"My grades were at the highest they had ever been." Linda said. "And you want to know why?"  
"Why?" Polly asked.  
"It took my mind off you both, and the self harm." Linda said, grinning inside when her parents tensed up at the mention of self harm.  
"We didn't know." James shook his head, and looked down in shame.  
"What did you think I did in my room for hours on end, and only coming into contact with you when I had to?" Linda said, trying to make her parents feel bad.  
"We just thought you liked keeping yourself to yourself." Polly said, tears now falling down her already tear stained face.  
"Do you know what the worst thing was for me?" Linda said. "The only person who believed me was grandma."  
"She did?" James asked, never hearing about this before.  
"Yeah. Then when she died, I didn't have a clue what to do. You wouldn't even let me go to her funeral!" Linda said, tears increasing as she relived the memory of being stuck in her bedroom while her parents and drug addict sister were at the funeral without her.  
"Oh, darling." Polly said, covering her face with her hands. "We are so sorry."  
"If we could change all of this, we would." James added, trying to hide his emotions.  
"But you can't!" Linda said. "I had no friends at all in my teens... and you didn't even act like parents."  
"We will if you give us another chance." Polly begged, and you could hear the pleading in her voice. Lenny felt pained at hearing the desperation in her voice.  
"I don't know what to do." Linda whispered. "I have lived for so long without going to you for help, and I could carry on that way."  
"Please don't say that." Polly cried in a whisper. Linda could hear the pain in her voice now too, and she didn't want that.  
"You promise me something." Linda demanded. "Promise me, that you will listen to me from now on. Tell everyone you know that I was never the drug addict they thought I was. And, check Denise's body in there." She pointed to the room Denise's body had been put in. "Go and check it, and the patient notes. Find the marks on her body from the drugs. I want to prove to you that it was never me." She heard her mother sob at the last request.  
"Whatever it takes." James said, also not too happy with the last request. He, and like everyone else, didn't want to go and search a dead body of a loved one.  
"Go." Linda said, motioning them out. "Go and do it now."  
"Okay." Her mother said, and she walked out of the cubicle, followed by James.

Linda sat on the edge of the bed with her hand still in Lenny's. She didn't want to talk at the minute, but think. She didn't really want her parents back in her life, but she couldn't block them out forever. They were her parents after all.  
"You okay?" Lenny asked, as he saw her wipe her eyes and sniff.  
"Well, I could be better." She said, and she moved to sit closer to him. He put his free arm around her back and pulled her closer. She leaned into his chest.  
"I have no idea how hard this must be fore you." He whispered, as he heard her sob. "I can't even begin to imagine..." Linda sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "But I will always be here."  
"I know." Linda whispered, as her parents walked in with the patient notes. Linda sat up.

"Did you see?" Linda asked.  
"Yeah." Polly replied. Linda could see in her face that she never wanted to do anything like that again. Ever.  
"Good." Linda snapped back.  
"So." James said. "Are we... okay?"  
"I don't know." Linda shook her head. "I don't think I can ever fully forgive you for what you put me through."  
"We will make it up to you somehow." Polly said, pleading again, making Linda feel guilty.  
"How? Give me the last ten years of my life back?" She asked.  
"No." Polly said. "But we would if we could."  
"We will treat you like the daughter you are." James said, also pleading, which hurt Linda even more.  
"Why didn't you before though? If I was on drugs or not? I was still your daughter." Linda said, gripping tighter onto Lenny's hand. He squeezed it back giving reassurance.  
"We are so sorry." Polly cried, as she looked at Linda in the eyes.

Linda stood up, as she had seen enough pain on their faces. She didn't think she could bare it anymore. She walked up to her mother, and to Pollys surprise, Linda wrapped her arms around her. Linda was seeking the warmth from her mothers body, as she could never recall that feeling. The last time must have been so many years again that Linda couldn't even remember it. The feeling made her feel a lot better. Even though her parents put her through a hell of a lot, Linda couldn't believe the feeling of a mother/daughter hug. She had been missing out. She felt her father put his arms around them both. The hug made her realise her feelings.  
"Ive missed you so much." She whispered in her mothers ear.  
"We've missed you too." She whispered back, and Linda moved one arm so that it went behind her father too. They stood this way for a few minutes. Lenny left the room silently to give them some privacy, and found Zoe eavesdropping outside the curtain.

"How much of that did you hear?" Lenny asked her.  
"Enough to know Linda forgave them." Zoe said, annoyed. She didn't think Linda would let them off so easily. Lenny could tell by her tone that she wasn't happy.  
"Im not too impressed either." Lenny shook his head. "If they were my parents, I wouldn't let them back into my life like that."  
"Me either." Zoe said. "But im kind of happy for them. I mean, Linda has her family back."  
"I know." Lenny said. "But Im going to have to put up with them." He saw Zoe raise and eyebrow.  
"You have to put up with them?" Zoe smirked. "Are you and Linda...?"  
"Yes." Lenny smiled proudly.  
"Congrats." Zoe said, and poked him in the stomach.  
"Thanks." Lenny said.  
"So, what are you going to do?" Zoe pressed.  
"Im taking her out to dinner later." Lenny said.  
"Where?" Zoe asked.  
"Wherever she wants to go." Lenny shrugged. "I don' care where."  
"Take her down that italian restaurant round the corner. The real fancy one. That will show her you like to spend money on her." Zoe said, giving him her knowledge.  
"Maybe. I will suggest it." Lenny said, and Nick came around the corner.

"This isn't the time for a chat." Nick said. "Zoe, they are going to need you in Resus in a little while. RTC in five."  
"Okay, thanks Nick." Zoe said, before patting Lenny on the shoulder with a look that said 'Good luck' and she left for Resus.  
"Hows Linda?" Nick asked, wanting to know what progress his collegue had made.  
"I think she is better now." Lenny nodded. "She had made up with her parents."  
"She has?" Nick said, disapproving. "I wouldn't if that were me."  
"I know. But I think because she hadn't seen them for ages, she just wanted them back in her life again."  
"I understand." Nick nodded. "Im happy for her, but that wouldn't be the decision I'd have made."  
"Me either, Mr Jordan." Lenny said. "But, like you, Im also happy for her. Im taking her out for dinner later to celebrate."  
"Really?" Nick said, with the same smirk Zoe used.  
"Yes." And Lenny looked at Nick, and Nick got all the information he needed.  
"Im happy for you." Nick said, smiling at his younger collegue.  
"Thanks." Lenny said.  
"Im going to have to ask you to get to work though in cubicles." Nick said. "We have a lot of people working in Resus with the RTC so we need help in cubicles."  
"Okay." Lenny said, and went to get to work, hoping Linda would be alright with her parents.


	8. Chapter 8

Lenny's shift had finished, and there wasn't one minute where he didn't worry about Linda. He wanted to know if she was okay with her parents, but he didn't want to intrude. He knew he would have to though at some point, as he was taking her out for dinner.

He put his stuff in his locker, and took out his coat which he put on, and he heard the door click open.  
"Hey." They whispered. Lenny turned around, and he saw Linda there. He could tell she had been crying, as there were still red rings around her eyes.  
"Hey. You alright?" Lenny asked her. He knew the answer.  
"Im okay, I guess." Linda smiled, as Lenny put his arm around Linda's back.  
"Just okay?" Lenny asked. He didn't need to ask why. He already knew.  
"Yeah." Linda nodded. "What about you?"  
"Im fine." Lenny replied, and smiled at her. "What about this dinner then?"  
"Yeah cool." Linda replied, smiling, even though she wasn't one hundred percent happy.  
"Where do you want to go? Anywhere is fine." Lenny said, trying to get her to talk a little bit more as he felt like she was holding back.  
"I don't mind. Anywhere." Linda shrugged.  
"What about that place round the corner?" Lenny asked.  
"Sure." Linda said. "I like italian. It is italian, right?"  
"Yeah, it is." Lenny laughed, and Linda also chuckled.

They walked out of the ED, and Linda looked towards Resus, and she saw a young ish girl, maybe mid twenties, having to be given compressions. Linda stopped mid stride, and her thoughts were replaced by memories of last night.

The girl being treated instantly turned into Denise. Linda stared as they continued to work on what was her sister.  
"Linda?" Lenny asked, walking back as he felt her stop behind him. "Whats the matter?" He saw her panicked facial expression.

Linda couldn't reply. She was too focused on the person in resus. Lenny wanted to know what had made her so worried, so he looked towards resus where she was looking. He saw the girl, same age as Denise, being worked on.  
"D, D, Denise." Linda shook, and she bought her shaking hands up to her face to cover her mouth. Lenny saw her shaking, and saw her almost hyperventilating. Tears began streaming down her face.  
"Ok, Linda, calm down." Lenny knelt down beside her. "That isn't Denise."

Lenny's words had no impact, as Linda saw the doctors step away from the girl and look towards the clock. It was the same time Denise had passed.  
"No, Denise, No." Linda said, as she tried to run towards the double doors.  
"Linda, listen to me!" Lenny shouted, as Zoe rounded the corner. "That is not Denise in there!" Lenny ran after her.  
"What is going on?" Zoe asked after hearing Lenny shouting. "Whats the matter?"  
"I think she is having a panic attack." Lenny said, worried, and he took Linda into a hug. "That is not Denise."

Linda couldn't reply still. She was still staring into space, replaying the memories in her head. From the first part in school, up until yesterday. She saw Zoe replace the space, and looked into Zoes eyes which brought her back to reality.  
"Linda. Look at me." Zoe said, taking hold of her face. Linda did, and she sagged, knees buckling. "Linda?" Zoe said, as Lenny held her up to stop her falling to the floor. Linda just put her head into her hands and sobbed. Lenny sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her, rocking her.  
"Its okay." Lenny whispered into her ear, as she continued to sob. He wanted to calm her down, as he hated seeing her crying.  
"I saw her." Linda shook. "I saw my sister."  
"Shh." Lenny said into her ears, and all Zoe could do was stand and watch them both have a tender moment.

"Come on, let me help you up." Lenny said and took hold of her hand. Linda stood up, and Lenny pulled her into a hug.  
"Are you alright?" He asked her.  
"No." She whispered, and she wiped her eyes.  
"Im taking you to dinner." Lenny said. "It will help take your mind off it."  
"Okay." She whispered, and Lenny and her turned to leave. Zoe took hold of Linda's hand.  
"Take care, alright?" She whispered, and Linda turned to hug her. Zoe didn't expect it.  
"Thank you." Linda cried into her friends ear. "For everything." Zoe heard the sad tone in her voice, and it made Zoe tear up.  
"Its fine." Zoe said, her voice breaking up at the end. Linda pulled away. "Ugh, you made me cry." Zoe said, smiling and wiping her eyes.  
"Sorry." Linda smiled.  
"Have fun." Zoe said, as she got a tissue from the nearest desk, and watched them both leave.

In the short drive to the restaurant, Linda had calmed down a lot, and she found out she was quite hungry.

They got into the restaurant, but were told to wait for ten minutes until a table became available. Lenny was surprised at the wait. Normally the wait would be a lot longer.  
"Feel better?" Lenny asked Linda, so that they weren't sitting in silence.  
"A bit, yeah." She nodded. "Im sorry."  
"What is there to be sorry about?" Lenny asked.  
"What im putting you through." She shook her head. "These are my problems, but im making them yours."  
"No. You shouldn't suffer in silence." Lenny shook his head.  
"But-"  
"But no Linda. I am here, and I will help you through this." Lenny said, and Linda began crying.  
"You don't know how glad I am to hear that." She murmured.  
"You should have already known." Lenny said.  
"I could never think that. No one had ever told me that before." Linda said, and her attention turned to this song. "I love this song." She smiled. "Reminds me of us."  
"It does?" Lenny asked, and listened to the lyrics.

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said i'd never let you go,  
When all those shadows almost killed your light.  
I remember you said Don't leave me here alone,  
But all thats dead and gone and passed tonight.

Just close your eyes,  
The sun is going down.  
You'll be alright,  
No one can hurt you now.  
Come morning light,  
You and i'll be safe and sound.

Don't you dare look out your window,  
Darling everything's on fire.  
The world outside our door keeps raging on.  
Hold on to this lullaby,  
Even when the music's gone, gone.

Just close your eyes,  
The sun is going down.  
You'll be alright,  
No one can hurt you now.  
Come morning light,  
You and i'll be safe and sound.

"Wow." Lenny said, as he played his and her relationship back in his head. He told her that he wouldn't let her go, and the song said that. You'll be safe and sound... that was what Lenny needed to say to her.  
"You see what I mean?" Linda said, smiling at him. Her smile was more convincing this time.  
"Yeah, I do." Even he was getting a little emotional.

Their chat was interrupted but the waitor taking them to their table. They sat and ordered the food, and all Lenny could think about was how accurate that song had been. It was scary.

They soon finished their food and Linda was staying over at Lenny's tonight because he didn't think she should be home alone tonight. She wanted to. She loved Lenny, and he loved her too. She needed his comfort tonight, and she didn't know how long she was going to be like this. She wanted to be free, not plagued by her sister.

**(song is safe and sound by taylor swift, the inspiration for this story.)**


	9. Chapter 9

Lenny had offered to drive Linda back to her house so that she could get some clothes and her belonging so she could stay at his overnight. She packed clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, and her makeup and straightners. She wouldn't go anywhere without them. She took care with her looks.

She enjoyed being at her house or someone elses. She had no memories there with her sister, so it didn't play with her emotions. However, thinking about her sister still gave her the urge to cry. She fought back, knowing that she had her parents back, which would help to stop the tears.

She walked into the kitchen where Lenny had helped himself to a packet of crisps which Linda had allowed.  
"Nice?" Linda asked, seeing his mouth stuffed full.  
"Yeah." He said, putting his hand over his mouth to stop him spitting everywhere.  
"Great." Linda laughed, and slung her bag over her shoulder. "We ready?"  
"Sure." Lenny said, hopping off the stool he was sitting on and followed Linda to the door.  
"Thanks for doing this." Linda said, as she sat in the passenger seat.  
"Its no problem at all." Lenny said.  
"I just don't think I could even think what it would be like if I was on my own." Linda sighed.  
"But your not, so don't think about it." He said, moving his hand from the gear box to her knee. He noticed her flinch again.  
"Sorry." Linda said, seeing him look at her. "I can't help it."  
"I know." Lenny said. "It will stop." He added, seeing her worried face.  
"But what if it doesn't?" She asked. "What if I am forever paranoid?"  
"You won't be." Lenny said. "I will help you through it."  
"Thank you." She whispered, as they pulled up infront of his house. It was now nine thirty.

Linda watched Lenny open the door and she followed him in, putting her bag at the foot of the stairs.  
"I know we only got together today," Lenny said. "But would you prefer to sleep in my room or your own?"  
"To be honest, probably yours." She smiled. "But I think if I slept on my own, I wouldn't be waking you up with nightmares."  
"Then you are sleeping with me." Lenny said. "I don't care about the nightmares. I will wake you up from them."  
"Lenny, I don't want to interrupt your sleep..." Linda said.  
"I don't care if you do." Lenny shook his head. "It will be better for me knowing that you will be okay, and better for you knowing I will be there to wake you."  
"Okay." She said shyly.  
"Its up there, second door on the right." Lenny said.  
"Okay." Linda said, taking off her shoes and took her bag upstairs. She walked in, and gasped at the size of the bed. Lenny had a king sized bed, all to himself. She gasped again as she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Lenny asked.  
"Yeah, I didn't even hear you come up the stairs!" Linda said, getting her breath back. "Your bed is huge!"  
"I love my comfort." Lenny smiled, and took Lindas bag from her and put it at the bottom of the bed.  
"Would you mind if I had a shower?" Linda asked Lenny.  
"No, its fine." Lenny said. "Its the room next to this one."  
"Okay, thanks." She said, and picked up her bag again and walked into the bathroom. It was rather large. It had a lot of space and was relatively tidy, completely the opposite to his personality. The shower was also large, as was the huge mirror on the side of the wall, right above the sink. Not even a fingerprint could be seen on it.

She had her shower, making it fast so she didn't cost Lenny a lot of money. She towel-dried her hair, and wiped off the remains of her make up. She looked at her face to inspect it after all her make up was removed, and she saw her sister in it. She shook her head as the tears began to form. No. She wasn't going to cry again. She had cried enough today.

She picked up her wet towel that she borrowed and hung it up on the towel rack. She was glad that the mirror had now steamed over from the shower, so she couldn't see her face, or her sisters. She picked up everything she had bought in, stuffed it all in her bag, and left the room.  
"That was fast." Lenny said as Linda walked into the kitchen. He looked at her and saw her ghostly white face.  
"You alright? You're quite pale."  
"Im fine." Linda said, before leaning on the work top. Before she knew it, she was shaking, and a drink of water was placed infront of her. She felt a hand on her forehead, which felt frozen to her.  
"I think its time we went to bed..." Lenny said, concerned.  
"Im fine." Linda said. "Well, will be in a minute. Sorry." Linda replied.  
"Are you sure? I just think you could lie down." He saw her still pale face scrunched in pain as she felt pain in her head. It soon subsided. He watched as she picked up the glass of water, nearly spilling it with her shaking hands, and she drank almost half. He saw that she shaking had stopped, and she stood up straighter. He put his arm around her to give her something to lean on. "Better?"  
"A lot." She nodded. Why did she keep nearly fainting on him? She didn't like it. She thought it was embarrassing. She yawned.  
"I think it is time we went to bed." Lenny repeated.  
"Okay." Linda said, and she was happy to sleep. The quicker she got to sleep, the quicker a new day would come.

She was wearing her pyjamas already as she put them on once she got out the shower, so all she needed to do was brush her teeth. She began, leaving the door open, and Lenny joined her. They brushed their teeth together.

When they were both done, they walked into the bedroom.  
"Um, what side do you sleep on?" She asked,not knowing where to go.  
"I normally just sleep in the middle, so pick any side."  
"You sure?" She asked.  
"Yep." Lenny said, and watched her take the side nearest the window. Lenny got in the other side and turned to face her. He saw that she looked worried.  
"Whats wrong?" He asked, putting his arm around her.  
"I just don't want the nightmares." She said. "Or to wake you."  
"You heard what I said before." Lenny smiled to give reassurance. "I will always be here. Day or night." He saw Linda smile. He loved it when she smiled. "I need to see that smile on your face even more. Its beautiful."  
"Thank you." Linda blushed. "But its really not."  
"It is." Lenny said, and leaned in and kissed her.  
"I like yours." Linda said as they pulled apart. "Its like a cheeky grin. It makes me smile when I see it."  
"It does?" He smiled, and she smiled again.  
"Yeah." She chuckled, as did Lenny.  
"I love you Andrews." He said to her, and edged closer.  
"I love you too Lyons." She replied, and they kissed again.  
"I think its time we went to sleep." Lenny suggested, moving his arm away from Linda. Linda didn't want him to let go. He reached over to the lamp and turned it off, leaving them in darkness. Linda was happy when his arm returned around her waist, which made her drift off to sleep quickly.

A few hours later, both were asleep, but Linda started to get nightmares.

_"Give me the drugs!" Denise shouted to Linda.  
"No! You will get sick!"  
"I will get sick without them!" Denise raised her voice even further. "Give them to me!"  
"No. You gave them to me." Linda said.  
"No, I gave them to you to look after!"  
"You still gave them to me!" Linda shouted back.  
"Give me them now, you brat." Denise spat. "You know what I can do."  
"What?" Linda challenged.  
"You know I told everyone that you had the drugs. They believed me." This hit Linda like a brick wall.  
"You wouldn't dare do anything like that again." Linda got angry.  
"Try me!" Denise said, smirking. "Maybe I will tell them that you self harm!" Denise grabbed hold of her arm and made her cry in pain.  
"No." Linda said, trying to pull away but stopped due to the pain. "Please don't."  
"Give me the drugs then!"  
"No."  
"I will tell everyone at school." Denise taunted. "Just like before."  
"Why would you do that?" Linda asked. "Im your sister!"  
"I don't care. I need the drugs, and you won't give them to me. I will do anything to get them." Denise said. "And I mean anything."_

Linda figited in her sleep, making Lenny stir slightly.

_"Just give me them." Denise said, grabbing Linda's arm again. Linda screamed in pain. "Look, you bled on me!"  
"That was your own fault!" Linda shouted.  
"You did it!" Denise shouted, letting go and wiping her hand on Linda's white shirt.  
"Fine." Linda said, walking over to her wardrobe and pulled them out and threw them at Denise. "You druggie. You want to kill yourself? Fine. Don't let me stop you. Im not hiding them for you anymore."  
"Oh yes you are." Denise nodded, walking back towards Linda, so their noses were just a few inches away. "And if you don't, you'll be paying for it at school." All Linda could do was stare into her sisters eyes, and she could feel how much she wanted the drugs._

Linda was whimpering in her sleep, and Lenny slowly came back to his senses as he heard her.

_"What have you done with my sister?" Linda whispered, as Denise walked out. "We might be related by blood, but I will never class you as my sister."_

"Linda, wake up." Lenny said, shaking her awake. "Linda, its alright, you are safe."

Linda's eyes shot open, and Linda was hyperventilating. Lenny helped her sit up as she realised where she was. He handed her the glass of water on the side, and helped her take hold of it as she was shaking again. He put his arms around her and held her close as realisation set in. The tears soon came after.  
"Oh it was a dream!" She cried into his shoulder.  
"I know." He whispered as he held her.  
"It was so real." She whispered back, and sobbed into his pyjama shirt.  
"But it wasn't." Lenny said. "You are fine here."  
"I know." She whispered, still half asleep.  
"Lay down." Lenny said, thinking she would go back to sleep. "I will be here until you fall asleep."  
"Okay." She whispered, shut her eyes and held the duvet to her chin. Soon, her breathing became slow and even, and Lenny turned off the lamp again and layed down next to her. He checked his alarm clock and it was one thirty in the morning. Five more hours and they would have to be up for work.

He found it hard to get back to sleep though. It took him a while, but he soon managed. He was still worried about Linda. He wanted to give her all of his dreams and he would take hers. If only it were possible.


	10. Chapter 10

Lenny woke up first, but he still felt tired. After being woken, he couldn't get back to sleep very well, and now that he woke, he just wanted to sleep all day. He knew he couldn't; The alarm clock would go off in about five minutes.

He lifted the duvet slowly so that it didn't disturb Linda, even though she would have to wake soon anyway. He slipped on his slippers and tip-toed downstairs, and put some water into the coffee maker readyfor when Linda woke up. He got out a bowl and filled it with cereal, and at it while waiting for the coffee.

Lenny could hear the alarm clock go off in his room, just as the coffee maker had finished. He poured it into two mugs, put sugar in one and milk in both. He was nearly finished, and he heard Linda's footsteps plodding down the stairs. She soon came into view, and as Lenny turned to look at her, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. She didn't look very well.  
"Morning." He said, and handed her the coffee he had made.  
"Morning." She replied, and took the coffee. "Thanks."  
"No problem." Lenny said. "Do you feel alright?"  
"Fine, why?" She asked, confused.  
"You look pale again." Lenny also saw bags under her eyes but thought he had better leave that out.  
"I do?" Linda sighed. "Oh well."  
"You don't feel ill at all? No headache, nothing?" He asked.  
"I said I am fine, Lenny." Linda looked at him with pleading eyes. He didn't believe her one bit.  
"You do know you can tell me anything, right?" He asked.  
"I know." Linda said and sipped her coffee, and she saw Lenny raise his eyebrow.  
"Then whats wrong?" He asked, looking at her, and her eyes filled with tears.  
"You know whats up." She said. "I had nightmares, i'm tired, and I lost me sister the other day."  
"I meant health wise." He whispered, and walked over to where Linda was sitting. She put her arms around him. They stood in an embrace for a few minutes, before Lenny looked at his watch. "We have to go to work."  
"Okay." Linda said, and downed the rest of her coffee.

They got into Lenny's car after Linda had dressed, put on her make up and brushed her teeth. They were already running late, and they knew Nick wouldn't be too happy. They pulled up outside the ED, and they had arrived ten minutes late, which wasn't too bad, but it was still late.  
"Nick's going to kill us." Linda sighed.  
"I know." Lenny said, as they got out of the car. He locked the door, and Linda joined him around that side of the door. She grabbed him, and kissed him unexpectedly. "What was that for?" He smiled, and Linda shrugged.  
"I love you. Thats what." Linda said, and jumped when Nick shouted at them from across the car park.  
"Your late!" He shouted, and motioned his hand into the ED.  
"Sorry!" Linda shouted back, and they ran across the car park to get there.

"Linda, ill meet you in the staff room in a minute. I need to speak to Mr Jordan." Lenny said.  
"Okay." Linda said, and walked off to the staff room.

"Hows Linda today?" Nick asked Lenny as he saw him coming.  
"Im not sure."  
"I wouldn't think she would be in after yesterday." Nick replied.  
"Me either. She didn't look too well this morning. Could you kind of like, Keep an eye on her?"  
"Sure, but im sure you will do a good job of that yourself."  
"I know, but someone else to when im busy." Lenny said. "She looked sick this morning; she was really pale."  
"Oh right." Nick nodded. "I will keep an eye on her. Thanks for telling me."  
"No problem." Lenny said, and went to meet Linda in the staff room.

"What did you say to Nick?" She asked, sitting on the sofa as he joined her.  
"Oh, I told him why we were late. Just got up too late." Lenny winked.  
"Oh, right." Linda smiled, and stood up to turn the kettle on there. "Quick coffee?"  
"Sure." Lenny said, making himself comfortable on the sofa.

He watched Linda turn on the kettle and stood with her back to him. He snuck up to her, and put his arms around her from behind, making her jump.  
"Hey!" She laughed.  
"Hey." He whispered in her ear. She took one hand off the work top and put her hand on his which was around her waist. She leaned back so that her head was on his chest underneath his chin. She could feel his breath on her face. She reached up and kissed him again, and he kissed her back.

It made them both jump when the kettle clicked off, and they pulled apart so Linda could make the coffee. She handed Lenny his, and blowed hers to try and cool it down.  
"You make good coffee." Lenny said after he had taken a sip.  
"Thanks." Linda said, and smiled.

They finished their coffee while sitting together on the sofa.  
"We had better get started." Lenny said, banging his cup down on the coffee table. He noticed Linda wince.  
"Headache?"  
"No, no. Its fine." Linda shook her head.  
"Linda..."  
"Fine. I might have a headache." She confessed. "But its not too bad."  
"It must be quite bad if you make a face like that from a little noise from my mug." Lenny said, concern. "Had any paracetamol?"  
"No." Linda sighed.  
"I will get you some." Lenny said, before opening his locker and taking some of the meds out. He got her a glass of water and handed her the paracetamol.  
"Thanks." She said, before swallowing the pills.  
"I got to go." Lenny said as he opened the door. "Feel better!"  
"Thank you!" Linda called after him, but she didn't think he heard her as he was no longer in sight.

She left the staff room after finishing the water and the coffee, and picked up a patient file that was in cubicle four. She was treated a young girl, age fifteen with abdominal pain.  
"Im Nurse Andrews, I see here that you have abdominal pain. Am I correct?" Linda said.  
"Yes." The patient, Jessica, replied.  
"Can you lift up your top please? Im going to have a feel around, and you tell me where it hurt, okay?"  
"Yeah." Jessica said, lifting her top as asked.  
"Okay." Linda said, starting with her left side. "Any pain there?"  
"No." Jessica said, but then Linda moved to the left.  
"Ouch, there." Jessica said, as Linda pressed down.  
"Okay. My suspicions are that you have appendicitus." Linda said. "I will get another doctor to check."  
"Thanks." Jessica said, and Linda left, putting the patient file back on the side. She was about to go and find someone, but someone was rushed in on a trolley.

Linda stood and stared at the person on the trolley. She knew who that person was, it was her best friend.  
"Zoe?" Linda gasped, and ran over. "What happened?" She asked Nick who had brought her in.  
"She collapse just outside the entrance." Nick said, and Linda could see the worry on his face.  
"Oh." Linda said, as they watched her being wheeled into resus. She hoped she would be okay. She didn't want anyone else in her life getting hurt...


	11. Chapter 11

Linda stood patiently watching through the double doors that lead into resus where Zoe was being treated. Zoe was her best friend. Was she awake? She couldn't see any movement from her...

Linda sighed in relief a few minutes later, seeing Zoe reach up and take hold of the oxygen mask. She also realised a few minutes later that she had been crying, and tears were falling down her face. How could she not realise she was crying?

She felt someone grab her from behind, and she jumped, turning around.  
"Hey, whats the matter?" Lenny said, wiping a tear from her face. He hated seeing her cry.  
"Thats Zoe." Linda said, looking towards resus.  
"Zoe?" Lenny said, concern. Zoe was also a good friend of his. "What happened?"  
"She collapsed outside." Linda said, turning around and looking through the glass again. "I hope she is okay."  
"Me too." Lenny said, taking Linda into a hug. She kissed him and he kissed her back.  
"No public displays here please." Tess said, tapping them both on the shoulder as she walked past. "The staff room is empty." She winked.  
"Staffroom?" Lenny asked.  
"Im not really in the mood." Linda said, and this time, tears began to form in her eyes that she was aware of.  
"Oh, okay." Lenny said. "You alright?"  
"Not really." Linda said, rubbing her forehead as her headache was still there, even after paracetamol.  
"Whats up?" Lenny asked her.  
"Everyone around me seems to be getting hurt." Linda cried.  
"Thats not true..." Lenny said.  
"Yeah it is! First Denise," She gulped, "Then my parents, then Zoe... Im just scared that you're next."  
"Im sure I will be fine." Lenny said.  
"But something will happen. I just know it." She shook her head, and Lenny pulled her into a tight hug. He felt Linda put her arms around him and squeeze him into an even tighter hug.

They pulled away a few minutes later, as the resus doors opened.  
"Hey, Linda, Zoe's asking for you." Nick said, and walked back in. Linda rushed inside.  
"Zoe, what happened?" Linda asked, worried for her friends health.  
"Nothing, Im fine." Zoe laughed. "Don't worry."  
"It wasn't nothing." Linda said, raising an eyebrow.  
"Im serious." Zoe said. "I just fainted. Nothing was wrong. I just didn't eat breakfast."  
"You sure?" Linda asked.  
"Im sure." Zoe nodded, and Linda slapped her arm. "Hey!"  
"That was for scaring me to death!" Linda said.  
"Im sorry. I know your going through enough." Zoe said sadly.  
"Its fine." Linda said. "You couldn't help it."  
"But I could." Zoe said. "Can I tell you something?"  
"Sure." Linda said.  
"Well, don't tell anyone, especially not Nick..."  
"Erm, okay..."  
"Me and Nick are kind of going out, have been for a while." Zoe said.  
"Oh wow." Linda smiled. "Congratulations."  
"Thanks." Zoe said, and carried on. "Well, he wants to have a baby, and so do I."  
"Thats great!" Linda beamed.  
"No its not." Zoe shook her head. "I can't have kids."  
"Oh." Linda felt her heart break in that one second. "Im sorry."  
"But im taking fertility treatment..." Zoe said. "I think thats what caused it."  
"Well, you need to check." Linda said.  
"No!" Zoe said, trying to sit up. "Nick can't know!"  
"But you need to check." Linda said, pushing Zoe back down.  
"I feel fine now." Zoe said. "It was probably a one off."  
"I hope it is." Linda said. She couldn't believe Zoe couldn't have children. She felt sorry for her.  
"It is." Zoe said, sitting up again.  
"You really should be resting." Linda said, as she watched Zoe pull off the oxygen mask.  
"No, I really should be working." Zoe said, stepping off the bed. "Im fine. Look." She twirled. The door burst open.

"Zoe? What are you doing out of bed?" Nick asked.  
"Im fine Nick." Zoe sighed.  
"How do you know? You just collapsed."  
"I feel perfectly fine." Zoe said, and walked to the door.  
"Where do you think you're going?" Nick called after her, making her stop.  
"To work?" She said, and Nick sighed. He knew better than to argue with her.  
"The moment you feel unwell, you tell me."  
"I will." She said, and left the room. Linda heard Nick sigh, then he left.

Linda got to work, and all she wanted to do was see Lenny. She was glad when it was her lunch break. She wandered off to the staff room to find Zoe leaning over the work top, shaking.  
"Zoe?" Linda asked, putting her hand on her back. "Are you alright?"  
"No." Zoe croaked, and tried to stand up straight. Linda saw the packet of fertility pills on the work surface.  
"You took another one?" Linda asked.  
"Nick wants a kid. Who am I to stop him?" Zoe replied, and looked at Linda, but then her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she slumped on to Linda.  
"Zoe? Zoe!" Linda said, trying to let her lay down gently. Linda ran to the door. "Nick!"  
"What? Whats happened?" Nick said, gasping when he saw Zoe laying on the floor.  
"She just collapsed again!" Linda said, trying not to panic.  
"Oh." Nick said, kneeling down next to her. To both of their horrors, Zoe started to jolt around on the floor.  
"She's fitting!" Linda said, trying to hold her head still so she didn't hit it. "Go get someone!" Nick left in a hurry, and returned with a trolley and Tess and Lenny. As they entered the door, Zoe stopped fitting.

They layed her on her side on the trolley to stop her choking on anything, and they rushed her into resus. Linda got the packet of pills from the work top and slipped them inside the pocket of her scrubs.

She walked into resus and saw them putting Zoe on to an IV, and Linda felt sick. Everything seemed to be happening to people she knew.  
"Tess, can I have a word?" Linda whispered, and Tess nodded, and they headed outside.  
"Whats up?" Tess said.  
"Zoe told me not to tell anyone, but she has been taking these." Linda pulled out the fertility drugs from her pocket.  
"Oh." Tess said.  
"She told me earlier that it could be those that caused her to collapse."  
"Why is she taking these?" Tess asked.  
"You can't tell Nick. Zoe told me not to even tell anyone but her health is more important." Linda said, and sighed. "She told me she can't have children."  
"Oh, bless her." Tess said, putting her hand on her heart. "And Nick doesn't know?"  
"No." Linda said. "I understand why, but when she wakes up, can you tell her not to take them?"  
"Sure I will." Tess said, with teary eyes. It must be hard knowing you can't have children.  
"Thank you." Linda said. "She will be alright, won't she?"  
"Im sure she will be fine." Tess nodded. "We will keep her in overnight for observation."  
"Okay." Linda nodded, feeling sicker than she did before. She felt a pang in her chest as she looked towards Zoe. "Excuse me." She said, and ran off to the loos.

She felt nausea on the way there, and then had to run the rest. She made it just in time to throw up what she had eaten for breakfast.  
"Hello? Are you alright in there?" She heard Sams voice.  
"Fine." Linda said, wiping her mouth then flushing the loo. She opened the door.  
"Linda?" Sam said. "Are you alright?"  
"Fine." Linda lied. "Must have eaten something that disagrees with me."  
"Okay. Feel better." Sam said, before entering a cubicle, and Linda washed her hands. She knew too well that it wasn't what she had eaten.


	12. Chapter 12

Linda walked out of the toilets not feeling much better. All this was becoming too much. First Denise, then Zoe... Her best friend was in resus now; the same room Denise had been in. All this was overwhelming, and she began to breath faster. More tears fell down her face.

She went into the staff room to hide her tears from her collegues, and Lenny. She had cried in front of him too much these past few days.

She sat on the sofa and bought her knees to her chest, trying to stop the feeling of guilt that spread through her. She sobbed into her knees, trying to keep quiet so that she didn't alert the attention of anyone outside. She looked around, and a knife on the table caught her attention.

She thought to herself that she had made everyone suffer, so she deserved to suffer herself. She stood up, got the knife, and sat back down and rolled up her sleeve to show her scarred left arm. She took the blade, took a deep breath and pushed the blade into her skin.

She knew from the blood that she had probably hit a vein in the process, so she got some paper towels from above the sink, and put pressure on it. She still held the blade in her other hand as she sobbed uncontrollably. The door opened, and Lenny's jaw dropped at the sight.

There was blood on the floor, and Linda had a knife in her hand, and was crying more than he had ever seen. Linda gasped as she saw him, and she dropped the knife so that it clanged on the floor.  
"Im sorry." She cried. "Im sorry. I couldn't stop."  
"Let me look at it." He said calmly. He lifted the paper towels, and blood ran down her arm and on to the floor. Linda shook, and he re applied the towels. He felt Linda slump, and he caught her before her knees smacked the floor.  
"What's wrong with me?" She sobbed, and threw the paper towels on the floor.  
"Can I get some help in here?" Lenny shouted while still holding Linda, and Sam came running in.  
"What happened?" She gasped, seeing blood on the floor.  
"Just help me get her on the sofa? Please?" Lenny pleaded, and Sam took one side of Linda. The pair dragged her over to the desk.  
"Im sorry." Linda said again, and she began to claw at the gash she had created.  
"No, Linda." Lenny said, pulling her hand away, and Linda screamed.  
"I deserve it!" She shouted, and Sam looked confused.  
"No you don't." Lenny said. "You did nothing wrong!"  
"I did! I killed my sister. I let that happen." She cried hysterically.  
"No you didn't! She killed herself!" Lenny said. All he wanted at the minute was to fix the cut on her arm.  
"I didn't stop it when I could have." She cried, and thrashed against Lenny and Sams hold. She managed to get free, and legged it to the door, which swang open as Tess walked in, hearing the screaming.  
"Linda?" Tess said, looking extremely concerned when she saw the state her collegue is in. Linda stopped breifly to stare at Tess with her bloodshot eyes, but again ran out of the room and into the girls toilets. She knew Lenny couldn't find her there.

She slammed the cubicle door shut, and sat on the toilet seat cover with her knees to her chest. She tried to pull her knees in, but she couldn't use pressure because of her bleeding arm. She examined it, and it made her feel sick. What was making her do this to herself? She soon heard knocking on the door.  
"Linda, please come out and let us fix your arm. Lenny is going crazy with worry." She heard Sam say.  
"No." Linda said, tears still running freely down her face. "I deserve to suffer." She winced as her arm stang. Sam heard a sharp intake of breath.  
"You are going to make yourself sick if you stay in there." Sam warned.  
"I don't care!" Linda cried. "I need to suffer."  
"No you don't!" Sam shouted back, which made Linda jump, and this made her cry even more. Someone else stormed in.  
"Linda, please come out." It was Lenny. He didn't hear a reply. "Please, for me?"  
"I need to suffer Lenny." She cried. "Its all my fault." She clawed at her arm again.  
"No you don't!" Lenny said, and Linda could hear that he was on the verge of crying. She didn't want to make him cry.

All was silent for a few seconds, until Lenny decided to speak up.  
"Come morning light, you and i'll be safe, and sound." he sang quietly, and this made Linda rethink her plans. "You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now." He heard Linda laugh.  
"Thats the wrong order." She said, and cursed herself for replying.  
"Please come out." Lenny begged. "I will help you through this. I promise you."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, until they heard the cubicle unlock. Linda opened the door, and stood there, gripping her arm. Lenny opened his arms to welcome her to a hug. She took it, and wrapped her arms around him.

She got blood on his scrubs, but Lenny really didn't care at the minute. He whispered in her ear.  
"I love you and don't you dare forget it."  
"I don't feel good." She whispered back, and Lenny heard her sigh.  
"Linda?" He said, pushing her infront of him so he could see her. She sagged and fell into him.  
"Oh my god." Sam said. "Linda?"  
"Linda!" Lenny said, and took her into a bridal carry, and rushed her into resus, the same room Zoe was in. He layed her into the spare bed.  
"What happened?" Tess said, rushing over to help.  
"I really don't have time to explain everything right now." Lenny said, and took hold of her arm to get a closer look.  
"Thats a nasty cut." Tess grimaced. "How did she get it?"  
"She did it herself." Lenny gave in. He knew they would find out at some point.  
"Why would she do that?" Tess asked, while attaching her to a drip.  
"Her sister died and she didn't take it very well." Lenny said. "She blames herself."  
"Oh Linda." Tess said sympathetically. "Well, it will have to be stitched."

Just then, Linda woke up coughing. She coughed and coughed, and Lenny rushed to help her sit up and he patted her on the back. She burst into tears again when she realised where she was, and she saw all of her collegues worried faces.  
"Its okay." Lenny said, sitting next to her and taking her into another hug. She cried into his chest, and Tess just watched.

"Tess." Zoe called over. She had woken an hour ago after she had a fit.  
"Yes?" Tess replied.  
"What happened to her?" Zoe asked. "She didn't," Zoe mimed, by putting her right hand to her left arm. "did she?"  
"Im afraid so." Tess said. "Do you know why?"  
"Yeah. Her sister died and she blamed herself." Zoe said tiredly.  
"Oh." Tess replied, looking at Zoe and noticing she looked tired. "Look, you rest. I will inform you of anything if needed."  
"Thanks Tess." Zoe said, before turning to her side and trying to sleep.

Linda stayed in Lenny's embrace. Thoughts were running through both of their minds as they held each other close. Lenny was the only person that could calm Linda down, and she was glad he was there with her.


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay, I think its time that you rested." Lenny said, slipping off the side of the bed, but Linda gripped on to his scrubs.  
"Don't leave." She said, and Lenny could see in her eyes that she was desperate.  
"I won't." He said, and smiled so she would do as he wanted. She layed down, and Tess walked back over.  
"Can I take a look at your arm?" Tess asked, and Linda moved it, wincing. She knew that everyone would have found out by now, so she didn't care who treated her. She would have preferred it to be Zoe, but she was obviously unable to treat today. She saw Tess's face, which was sympathetic, and Linda sighed as tears silently fell down her face again.  
"This will need stitching." Tess said, getting ready. "Can I leave Lenny to do it?"  
"Yeah." Linda said, and Tess left the room to get all of the equipment for Lenny. She returned shortly.  
"Lenny, could you just give us a minute? I need to speak to Linda privatly."  
"Sure." Lenny replied to Tess, and he had to pry Linda's fingers off of his arm.  
"No! Don't go!" Linda cried.  
"I will be back in a minute." Lenny said.  
"I only need to speak to you for a few minutes." Tess said, trying to calm her down. Linda sighed in defeat, leaning back against the pillows.

"I need you to realise that everyone is here for you, so you needn't be afraid to ask for help." Tess started.  
"I know that." Linda said, wiping her eyes. "I just can't stop."  
"You can talk to me about it. Patient confidentiality."

Linda took a few deep breaths, and told Tess her story. Linda could see the pain behind Tess's calm face.  
"Oh, Linda, I didn't know." Tess said.  
"I know." Linda said. "No offence or anything, but I intended to keep it that way, but then all this happened."  
"Im sorry." Tess said.  
"Don't be. It happened. It can't be un done." Linda murmured.  
"Well, you know where I am. If you ever feel like this again, think. Come to me, and we can sort this out." Tess smiled, and patted Linda's knee.  
"Thanks Tess." Linda whispered, and Tess left the room.

Lenny sat next to Linda and put in the stitches that she required.  
"What did Tess say?" Lenny asked, curious.  
"She told me that I could come to her if I needed." Linda replied, looking down. She had finally stopped crying; but it wasn't out of choice. Her eyes began to sting, and she couldn't take it anymore.  
"I am here too." Lenny said. "Just if you ever feel like doing anything like this again, come to me. I can help you stop Linda."  
"I know." Linda said. "I just needed to do it. Let my feelings out."  
"Well, please, next time, come to me before you do. Talk to me about your problems. We can stop this." Lenny said.  
"Okay." Linda said, believing in him. If anyone was going to help her, it would definatly be him.  
"There we go." He said, cutting off the last stitch. "In much pain?"  
"No." Linda said.  
"Well, the anaesthetic will wear off soon, so tell me if you are in any pain."  
"Okay." Linda whispered, and Lenny sat on her bed. Linda sat up, and she cuddled up to him. She needed a hug.

They soon heard shuffling from the other side of the room, indicating that Zoe was waking up from her little nap.  
"Hey Zo." Linda smiled, as Zoe turned to face her.  
"Hey." She replied, still half asleep. "You alright? What happened earlier?"  
"I," Linda began, but didn't want to say. She lifted her arm to show Zoe the stitches.  
"Linda..." Zoe began.  
"I know I shouldnt." Linda said. "But I needed to. I kinda just freaked out."  
"You know that im always here for you?"  
"Yeah, I know Zoe." Linda smiled.  
"Good." Zoe said, and tried sitting up, but she was still nausious.  
"Lenny, I need to speak to Zoe... alone for a little bit." Linda said shyly.  
"Okay." Lenny said. "Sure."  
"Thanks." She said, and Lenny lef the room.

"Whats up?" Zoe asked, curious.  
"Tess knows about the fertility pills." Linda said.  
"What?" Zoe replied, panicking. "Nick can't know! Why did you tell?"  
"Because they were putting your life at risk Zoe!" Linda said. "Tess promised not to tell Nick."  
"Are you sure she won't tell?" Zoe raised an eyebrow with watering eyes.  
"Im sure." Linda said. "But Im not happy with you not telling him."  
"Its not your decision though." Zoe said.  
"I know. But he deserves to know." Linda said. "Please tell him. If he loves you, i'm sure he would understand!"  
"But he might not! You know what he is like if he doesn't get his own way."  
"Just explain it to him, please." Linda pleaded. "I don't want you putting your life into any more danger."  
"Do you think he will be okay with it?" Zoe asked.  
"I do." Linda nodded. "Its not your fault, so he can't blame you."  
"Okay." Zoe said. "Could you get him for me?"  
"Sure." Linda said, and left the room. Lenny was waiting outside.

"Hey." He said, smiling as she walked out.  
"Hey." Linda said. "Do you know where Nick is?"  
"Yeah, he was in his office." Lenny said. "Why?"  
"Zoe wants him." Linda said, and dashed off round the corner.

She knocked on the door to his office, and heard him reply.  
"Nick." Linda said.  
"Linda. What happened to your arm?" He asked.  
"Long story." Linda sighed. "Zoe wants you."  
"Oh." He said, standing up. "Okay." He said, and Linda left the room. Nick sped off and Linda heard the resus doors shut.

Linda went back to find Lenny leaning over the desk at reception having a laugh with Noel.  
"Whats so funny?" Linda smiled, leaning in to their conversation.  
"Oh, just this guy over there." Noel said, pointing him out discreetly. He was sat in a chair waiting to be seen to, but he asleep, slumped over the chair with his mouth wide open.  
"Aww." Linda said. "Don't laugh... He's only sleeping."  
"But its funny." Lenny said, laughing.  
"Yeah it is." Linda laughed, and she hugged Lenny. She felt better, almost cheerful for once.

Then the resus doors banged open, and Nick stormed out, heading towards his office. She heard Zoe shout after him.  
"Zoe?" Linda said, going in to see if she was alright. "Are you okay?"  
"No." Zoe cried, and Linda sat on her bed. Zoe sat up.  
"What happened?" Linda asked, putting her arm around her best friend.  
"He's angry." She whispered. "He is angry with me for not telling him."  
"Oh." Linda said. "He will come around."  
"No he won't." Zoe sniffed. "He said he wanted nothing more to do with me."  
"What?" Linda was shocked. "Why? I thought you were a couple!"  
"We were." Zoe cried. "He wants a child. Now that I can't give him one, he doesn't want to see me."  
"Just because he can't get what he wants, doesn't mean he can walk out on you just like that."  
"Yeah it does. He just did." Zoe said, and Linda pulled her into a hug.  
"It will be alright." Linda said.  
"No it won't!" Zoe said. "He hates me now."  
"Im sure thats not true!" Linda said, almost crying again. "I will talk to him for you."  
"No. He won't want to hear it." Zoe said.  
"Well, he will have to listen." Linda said, and she hopped off the bed.  
"Linda." Zoe called after her, but Linda was already gone.


	14. Chapter 14

"Nick!" Linda shouted storming into his office.  
"What?" He said back.  
"Why?" Linda asked. "Why do that to Zoe!"  
"She lied to me!" Nick said, putting his head in his hands, leaning on his desk. "Why did she lie to me?"  
"She knew you wanted children." Linda said, and Nick looked up at her.  
"But she can't have them, Linda." Nick said.  
"But she tried!" Linda replied. "Thats when she continued to take the pills! She knew they were making her sick, but she did it for you."  
"She made herself sick to give me a child?" Nick whispered. "Why?"  
"Frankly, I don't know." Linda said, eyes filling with tears. "Because the way you've been acting, I don't know why she wants you to go back."

Linda looked at him, and she could see on his face that he knew he was in the wrong here. His girlfriend, that he loves, made herself sick for him. Just for him. She put her life at risk, and he just left her when all she was trying to do was help him. A tear slipped down Linda's face.  
"How can you just sit there, knowing your girlfriend could have died to give you something you so desperately wanted?" She said, seeing Nicks face drop.  
"I need to go an see her." He stood up, and walked over to Linda.  
"Yeah you do." Linda spat. "And if you hurt my best friend again, ever, I'll have something to say about it."

Linda was surprised that the sentence had actually come out of her mouth. She just threatened her boss. What she was even more surprised about was that he just carried on walking, didn't stop to comment.

She walked out of his office, and bumped into Lenny as she stepped out the door. She wiped her face to get rid of her tears, and looked Lenny in the eye.  
"I just threatened my boss." She said with a confused look on her face.  
"You what?" Lenny grinned, like he couldn't believe it. "What did you say!"  
"I said 'You ever hurt my best friend again, i'll have something to say about it'." She told him, and rubbed her head as she had a headache.  
"Wow. I never knew you would be the first to threaten Mr Jordan." He smiled. He saw her rubbing her head. "Whats wrong?"  
"Headache." She said, sighing.  
"Staff room." He said, and they walked over together.

Entering the room, Lenny made Linda sit on the sofa, and he gave her a glass of water.  
"Remember to take it easy today." He said. "Remember what happened earlier?"  
"How can I forget?" She whispered, and took a sip of her water.  
"Please rest." He asked. "You've been running around all day and its not going to help."  
"Im fine, Lenny." Linda said.  
"No you're not." He shook his head. "You have a huge cut on your arm and a headache. Thats not fine."  
"I know, but can start working again!" She argued.  
"No." Lenny said. "You need to rest for a little while."  
"But-"  
"Please." Lenny said. "I don't like seeing you ill."  
"Fine." Linda said. "I will rest. But only because its you asking."  
"Good." Lenny said, making Linda lay down. Linda suddenly didn't feel right. Her headache made her very nausious.  
"Oh my god." She said, gagging. She only just made it to the sink. She heard Lenny sigh. He took hold of her hair so that it didn't get in the way, and waited until she was finished. "I swear something didn't agree with me at the restaurant."  
"Sorry." Lenny said. "I didn't mean to make you sick.  
"Its not your fault." She said, wiping her mouth on a tissue that Lenny handed to her. She felt all dizzy all of a sudden. "I need to lay down."

Lenny lead her over to the sofa and helped her lay down.  
"Better?" He asked.  
"Yeah." She said, as she felt the dizziness disappear. "Everything seems to be happening to me."  
"I know." Lenny said. He couldn't deny it. "But it will get better. I promise."  
"How do you know though?" Linda asked.  
"I don't." He said. "But good things happen to good people."  
"But i'm not a good person!" Linda cried. "I self harm, I kept drugs for my sister."  
"You didn't really have a choice though. It wasn't your fault." Lenny said.  
"Yeah it was." Linda said, crying.  
"Look. Now don't get yourself worked up. You will feel better after you rest." Lenny said, using his thumb to take hold of her face and wipe away the tear that fell over the side of her face. He saw her relax, so he kept his hand there, and stayed with her until she fell asleep.

She was soon asleep, so Lenny put a bucket by the sofa just in case she needed it when she woke up. He left the room, and went to go and see Zoe.  
"Hey." Lenny said, walking up to her.  
"Hey. Is Linda alright?" She asked. "Nick told me what she said."  
"Did he tell you she threatened him?" Lenny laughed at the memory.  
"Yeah." She said. "It made him feel bad."  
"That was her intention, I think." Lenny said.  
"So, is she okay?" She asked again.  
"Oh. Well, apart from the cut on her arm, her headache and the fact she has food poisoning, she is fine." Lenny said.  
"Food poisoning aswell?" Zoe was shocked. "Bless her."  
"Im looking after her, don't worry." Lenny smiled, as he raised Zoe's bed so she wasn't laying flat.  
"Make sure you do Doctor Lyons." Zoe smirked, and she sighed at being able to sit up. "Thats better."  
"I will look after her." Lenny said. "How are you feeling?"  
"Better." She replied.  
"Okay. I will get Tess to check you over again." Lenny said, before leaving the room.

He found Tess looking in the staffroom window and looking sadly at Linda.  
"Whats wrong with her?" Tess asked.  
"Food poisoning." He said.  
"Oh."  
"By the way, Zoe is feeling better." He told her. "Can you check her over?"  
"Sure." Tess said, before walking away. She turned around. "Oh, and Lenny?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Take the rest of the say off." Tess told him. "Take Linda home, and both of you get some rest."  
"Are you sure?" Lenny asked.  
"Yes." She said. "We aren't busy today. We can manage without the two of you."  
"Okay. Thanks Tess!" Lenny said, and he went to wake up Linda. He didn't want to, but the sooner he got her home, the better.

"Hey, sleepy head." He said, waking her up. She groaned, and paled. "Bucket?" She answered with a nod. "Im taking you home."  
"What?" Linda asked after she had finished.  
"Tess let me and you have the day off." He smiled, and began helping her up.  
"I love Tess." She mumbled, and Lenny smiled as he took hold of her hand.

They walked out of the ED together, and Linda just wanted to sleep. She got into the passenger seat and leaned her head back. Lenny started up the car, and they headed for the motorway.  
"You can sleep if you want." Lenny suggested as they went round a roundabout.  
"Nah. I will have to wake up to get out." Linda said.  
"Okay." He replied, and picked up the speed. They were going fast, but it wasn't over the Limit.

Further down the road, the pair were talking. Lenny was too busy talking to miss a red light. Linda noticed though, but it was too late.  
"Lenny!" She said, looking out the windscreen.  
"Oh my god." He said, as he sped down the road. He slammed on the brakes, and they heard a screech of a horn. Linda screamed, seeing a lorry side on. It smashed into the back left side of the car.


	15. Chapter 15

The car was mashed and mangled in the middle of some cross roads. The lorry that had collided with the car didn't have anywhere near as much damage because of its size, so the driver was relatively unharmed. He scrambled out of his lorryas fast as he could, as he was shocked by what just happened. He ran up to the car and went to see if they were okay.  
"Hello? Can you hear me?" He said, looking into the car. The person near him was a young woman with blond curly hair, and an obvious head injury. The man in the drivers seat was moving around a little. "Hello?"

He walked around to the side with the driver, and opened the car door. "Can you hear me?"  
"Hmm." Lenny replied, opening his eyes and putting a hand to his forehead.  
"Im going to ring an ambulance okay? Stay calm." The man instructed.  
"Linda." Lenny said, looked at her slumped over her seat. "Oh my god Linda!"  
"Stay calm and stay still." The man warned. "You could have hurt yourself."  
"I know." Lenny said. "We both work in the ED."  
"Oh." The man said, and informed the person on the phone. "Whats your name?"  
"Lenny." He said, and turned back to Linda. He didn't want to move her incase she had broken her neck. He tapped her face lightly to see if she would respond, but no. Lenny started to cry. All of the events had caught up with him.

He seemed to have fallen unconsious or fell asleep without knowing, as the next thing he knew was Dixie putting a neck brace on him.  
"Don't worry Darling." Dixie said, as she did the neck brace up. "You'll be fine."  
"Linda." He said with tear marks down his face. He moved his whole body to look at her. She also had a neck brace on.  
"Linda will be fine, sweet heart." Dixie said, and Lenny turned to look at her, looking right into her eyes.  
"How bad is it?" He asked.  
"Well, she has been knocked out, deep gash to the head, but is breathing. She has also lost quite a bit of blood." Dixie said. She knew she had to be truthful as Lenny would know as he is a doctor. Fresh tears fell down his face. He hated feeling restricted. All he wanted to do was hug Linda better.

Because the car was mangled, they had to wait for the firemen to cut off the roof to be able to get them out. Lenny could only sit there and watch what was in his field of vision, so he used his hand and reached over to grab Lindas. He held it while they waited, and after about twenty minutes, they were free.  
"Alright sweetheart." Lenny heard Dixie say while they put Linda on to a spinal board and into the back of Dixie and Jeff's ambulance.  
"Alright mate." Jeff said to Lenny. "These guys behind me will be taking you to Holby.  
"So much for a day off." He huffed and felt tired. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in the back of an ambulance.

"He's awake." The paramedic in the back said to the one in the front.  
"Polly." Lenny said, recognising her.  
"Yeah, its Polly." She smiled. "How much pain are you in on a scale of one to ten."  
"Three." He said, and tried to move his head. He couldn't because of the neck brace.  
"Stay still." Polly instructed.  
"I know." Lenny said.  
"Then why aren't you doing it?" Polly raised an eyebrow, and Lenny shut up.

*At Holby*

"Guys this is Linda Andrews." Dixie said with a glum expression.  
"Our Linda?" Sam asked.  
"Yes." Dixie said. "Deep head wound, knocked out on site and never regained consciousness. May have a spinal fracture."  
"Ok thanks Dixie."  
"Oh, there is another one on the way. Maybe three minutes."  
"Oh, um, thanks."

They wheeled her into Resus where Tess met them.  
"What have we got?" Tess asked.  
"Its Linda." Sam said to her. "Deep head gash, k'oed and possible spinal fracture."  
"Oh dear." Tess said in a whisper.  
"What?" Sam said.  
"Lenny was driving her home." Tess was worrying. Why did she make them take the day off?

"There is blood coming from her left arm." Scarlett pointed out.  
"Ok, assess it please." Sam instructed. "If we have another casualty coming in, we are going to need more doctors."  
"I can help." Zoe said, getting off her bed on the other side of the room.  
"Are you sure?" Sam asked.  
"Yes, positive." Zoe nodded and smiled, and grabbed an apron and some latex gloves. She walked over to Linda's head and began to assess. "Someone get her booked in for a CT and an MRI."  
"On it." Lloyd shouted from the other side of the room.  
"Thank you." Zoe said, and checked Linda's pupils. "Not good... Pupils dilated quite a bit."  
"Make the CT quick Lloyd." Sam shouted over her shoulder while checking Linda's chest. There was some bruising there. "I think a couple of broken ribs."  
"CT can take her now." Lloyd ran over to say.  
"Okay lets get her down." Sam said, and they began to wheel her down when the doors crashed open again.

"This is Dr Lenny Lyons, minor head injury, possible fracture to his neck." Polly said as they wheeled him in. "Blacked out a few times in the ambulance, and once on scene."  
"Thanks Polly." Zoe said, taking over this patient. They wheeled her into Resus.  
"What have we got?" Nick said, walking in and putting gloves on.  
"Lenny." Zoe said, and took a look at his head. "If he blacked out then he might have a concussion or a small bleed..."  
"Im booking him in for a CT now." A doctor said from the other side of the room.  
"Pupils not dilated..." Zoe said. "Okay Lenny, we are going to roll you over and press lightly on your back. Tell us if you are in any pain, alright?"  
"I know what to do." Lenny said.  
"Okay. On one, two, three." Zoe said, and they rolled him over. Zoe began pressing on his back. Lenny was in no pain.  
"Okay, we can rule out the possiblity of a spinal fracture." Nick said, and Lenny sighed.  
"Thank God." He smiled.  
"Anyway Zoe, how come you are working?" Nick asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.  
"Im fine Nick." She said. "They needed another doctor."  
"You need to rest." Nick said.  
"No, Nick, Im fine." Zoe said.  
"If you are sure." He said, and put a hand to her forehead as it was shiny. "You are a bit warm."  
"Stop it." Zoe sighed and pushed his hand away. "Im fine, alright?"  
"Okay..." Nick said, not believing her.  
"Well, I need to put stitches on this cut." Zoe said, getting back to her job, and getting the stick on stitches ready. "But first, i'll get the neck brace off you."  
"Hooray." Lenny said, as he could finally sit comfortably. After the neck brace was off, Zoe leaned over Lenny to put on the stitches. The light being right in her face gave her a headache after a while.  
"Are you alright?" Lenny asked Zoe. "You look sick."  
"Thanks." Zoe rolled her eyes. "Im fine. This light is giving me a headache."  
"Why don't you sit down for a bit?"  
"Im fine." She said. "Don't worry."

She continued with the stitches, and every now and then she would pause to wipe her forehead which didn't go unnoticed.  
"Zoe, get a nurse to do it. You're not well."  
"Let me finish off, and then I will rest. Deal?" Zoe said.  
"Sure, I guess." Lenny said, and soon his stitches were done. Zoe was just wiping off the stitches when she stepped back. Lenny watched her, and she gagged.  
"Sorry." She managed to get out before fleeing the cubicle. Lenny sighed.  
"Nick!" Lenny shouted, hoping someone would hear him. "Nick!"  
"What are you shouting about?" Noel came in, hearing Lenny. "Heard what happened. You alright mate?"  
"Yeah, can you get Nick for me?"  
"Sure." Noel said, and returned with Nick.  
"Whats the matter?" Nick asked, taking Zoe's seat.  
"Zoe just ran out of here gagging." Lenny said. "I told her to sit down or rest or something, but she wouldn't."  
"Okay, Ill go and find her." Nick said. "Thanks for letting me know."  
"No problem." Lenny said. "Oh, and hows Linda? Im going mad with worry over here."  
"She is having her MRI done." Nick explained.  
"Is she awake yet?"  
"Im afraid not." Nick shook his head. "I will come and get you when she gets out."  
"Okay, thanks." Lenny replied, putting his hand through his hair, and exhaled. This was going to be a very long wait.

Zoe then re entered the room.  
"Sorry about that." She said.  
"What are you doing?" Lenny asked. "Nick is looking for you."  
"He is?" Zoe said, picking up all the rubbish she had left behind.  
"Yeah." Lenny said.  
"Ill go in the staff room and lay down. He will find me there." Zoe said.  
"Good. Rest. You look horrible." He added, knowing that if Zoe knew that, she would rest as she hated her looks to be affected.  
"Thanks." She said, and left the room.  
"No problem." Lenny shouted, and leaned back into his pillow.


	16. Chapter 16

Down at the MRI, Linda was still unconscious. Her CT came back clear, so she was lucky on that part. She would have a nasty headache though when she woke up.

Sam and Scarlett were watching the scan, with many thoughts going around in their heads. Scarlett was thinking about Linda's arm when she had to assess it.  
"Sam."  
"Yeah?" Sam turned to look at Scarlett.  
"Do you know if anything is going on with Linda?" Scarlett said. Sam knew she was going through a rough patch but not sure why.  
"Not really. Not that I know of, anyway." Sam said. "Why?"  
"Because her arm." Scarlett said. "Its covered in scars."  
"Oh." Sam said, remembering when Linda passed out outside the ED and Sam saw the cut on Linda's arm. "I saw her arm the other day and it was bleeding. Lenny sorted it out though."  
"Oh right." Scarlett replied. Sam could see that Scarlett was worried.  
"Don't worry about it." Sam said. "Its not really any of our business anyway."  
"But there were so many." Scarlett said. "Some old, some new. It was horrible."  
"Still, its none of our business." Sam snapped, quite angry that scarlett kept going on about it. "Im sure if she wanted you to know, she would tell you."  
"I guess." Scarlett replied, not expecting the outburst.

"Woah woah woah!" Sam cried. "Stop the scan!"  
"What? Why?" The man said that was sorting it.  
"She's fitting!" Sam said, running into the room. The slid Linda out of the scan and held her head still so she didn't do much more damage. She son stopped.  
"Pulse is fine." Scarlett said.  
"As is her breathing and heart rate." Sam said, deciding it was okay to carry on with the scan. "Lets keep going."

They slid her back under and began the scan. This time, the scan passed without any fits or disturbances. They then took her back into resus where they could check her over properly while waiting for the scans to come back.  
"Did you sort her arm out for me?" Sam asked, taking a closer look. The cut had been cleaned and dressed, but even around the bandage there were many scars.  
"Its horrible." Scarlett whispered.  
"I know!" Sam said, and looked Scarlett in the eye.  
"I just don't know why anyone could do that to themselves." Scarlett said.  
"Im sure she had a reason." Sam snapped again. "Its none of our business anyway, okay?"  
"Yeah." Scarlett said, and then began to check everything with Sam. All vital signs were good, so they just had to wait for the scans.

Meanwhile, Lenny was worrying about Linda. He wasn't allowed to get up and see her as he hadn't been given the all clear yet, and Nick still wanted to double check him. Fed up of waiting, he snuck into the staff room, and when he walked, he found out that his leg hurt a bit. He wasn't surprised. He had just been in a car accident!

He opened his locker, and turned around to hear someone wretching.  
"Zoe..." He turned around and saw her throwing up into one of those cardboard bowls. "I'll get Nick."  
"No, don't." Zoe shook her head.  
"Why? You're being sick!" He pointed out the obvious.  
"Don't you think I know that?" Zoe said.  
"Im getting Nick." Lenny said. He knew Zoe was ill and she couldn't not be treated.  
"Please don't!" She said, but it was too late, he had already left.

"Mr Jordan!" Lenny rushed in Nicks office.  
"Dr Lyons? Why are you out of bed?"  
"I went to the staff room to get something out my locker but Zoe was in there. She was throwing up." Lenny informed him.  
"Oh, I see." He said, got up, and followed Lenny to the staff room. They arrived but Zoe had gone. Lenny groaned. "Where is she?"  
"She was here a minute ago!" Lenny said, frustrated. "She's got to be around her somewhere." Nick turned around and heard heels walked out of the entrance.  
"She is probably having a fag." Nick said, and walked towards the doors. He got out, and sure enough, Zoe was there, leaning against the wall while smoking. She saw Nick, groaned, and then held her stomach. She was in pain.  
"Please, just leave me alone?" Zoe said. "Im fine, really."  
"Not if you were throwing up back there." Nick said. "Are you in pain?"  
"Yeah, my stomach." Zoe said, and winced. "Feels like cramp."  
"Lets get you back inside." Nick said, and put her into her own cubicle. She layed down and held her stomach.  
"Those bloody pills." Zoe said, and moaned again. Nick was in his own thoughts for a while, and then he suddenly thought.

"Oh." He said, coming to his senses. "Oh!"  
"What? Nick?" Zoe asked.  
"You were vomiting, had cramp, you fainted..." Nick said.  
"And...?" Zoe was confused.  
"What if it wasn't an allergic reaction?" Nick said. "What if you are pregnant?"  
"But thats impossible. I got told that I couldn't have children." Zoe said, and thought about it all.  
"But we have seen come patients that were told the same as you, that have now got a child..." Nick said.  
"But what are the chances that I am pregnant Nick?" Zoe said sadly. "They aren't huge."  
"But there is still a chance there." Nick said. "I will organise a scan."  
"Okay." Zoe said. Now that she thought about it, was she ready to have a child?

Lenny had found his way back to resus, and he nearly broke down seeing Linda like that. His legs felt like Jelly and tears fell down his face.  
"Linda." He whispered and walked over to sit down. She still had the neck brace on, so they obviously hadn't got the scans back yet. He picked up her patient notes, and gasped when it said she had had a fit. What caused it? Maybe her head injury was worse than it looked.  
"Please wake up Linda." Lenny whispered. "I love you. Don't leave me."  
"How very touching." Dylan said blandly as he walked in.  
"She's my girlfriend. What else do you expect?" Lenny replied.  
"I don't know, jokes?" Dylan said. "I know you're quite the joker."  
"She is hurt, Dylan. I wouldn't jooke about this."  
"Woah. Okay." Dylan said, leaving the room. Sometimes Lenny hated that man.

Lenny turned away from Linda for two minutes, and then his head shot round. Linda began coughing.  
"Linda?" Lenny said. "Linda!" He ran out and grabbed Sam who was standing outside.  
"Linda, you're alright." Sam said to her, trying to calm her. The coughing stopped a little bit, and tears were streaming down Linda's face, either from coughing, or the realisation of he neck brace.  
"What happened?" Linda asked, sobbing.  
"We were in a car crash." Lenny said, and Linda reached up with her right hand to trace the stitches on his cheek.  
"You're hurt." Linda whispered, letting the tears fall.  
"Im fine." Lenny shook his head, crying with happines that she was awake.

The man who did Linda's scans walked through the door that second.  
"MRI was clear, but CT came back with a hair line fracture to the skull. Its only small and won't need any surgery. She will most likely have concussion." He said to Sam.  
"Okay, thank you." Sam sighed. She was hoping that both scans would come back clear. "At least the neck brace can go."

They took it off and Linda groaned.  
"Whats wrong?" Lenny asked Linda.  
"Im dizzy." Linda said, as she moved her head. Lenny propped the bed up a bit for her so it was more comfortable. She rested her head on it, but Lenny could see she was pale. He had had a concussion before so he knew what was happening. He grabbed a cardboard bowl and put it under her head just in time. He held her hair back with his free hand, and Sam handed her a tissue.  
"Thanks." She whispered, taking the tissue.  
"Try and get some rest." Lenny said to her.  
"But im not tired." Linda shook her head, and then regretted it. She grabbed her head a whinned.  
"Keep still." Lenny said. "It will get better."  
"I know." Linda said, crying still.

"Um, Linda, could I have a word? Im private?" Sam asked.  
"Okay." Linda replied, and Lenny kissed her before he left. Now it was just them in the room.  
"I hope you don't mind me asking." She began. "But I saw your arm." Linda pulled her arm away.  
"I don't want to talk about it." Linda whispered.  
"But I think I can help you." Linda was confused because Sam looked nervous.  
"What makes you think you can help me?" Linda said.  
"Because." Sam said, and rolled up her sleeve. "I did the same."


	17. Chapter 17

"You did it too?" Linda whispered, tears stopping due to shock.  
"Yeah." Sam said. "I know how to deal with it now, so I can help you through it."  
"You will?" Linda asked.  
"Sure." Sam said. "Talk to me. What happened?"  
"My sister was a drug addict and blamed me." Linda confessed. "My parents believed her for 10 years."  
"Oh." Sam said. "Im sor sorry."  
"Don't be." Linda said. "It happened."  
"Do you want to know my reason?" Sam asked, smiling at her.  
"You don't have to tell me." Linda shook her head.  
"But I want to. That is what helped me stop." Sam said.  
"Okay." Linda said.  
"It all came down to stress. My parents made me do well in exams. If I didn't, it meant that I would get in trouble, would have to do it again and again."  
"Oh." Linda said.  
"Yeah." Sam nodded. "It was all study study study. I wasn't allowed to go out with friends. Didn't have any boyfriends."  
"Oh." Linda said again. "That was kind of like me. I studied all the time to stop thinking about everything. I didn't have any friends."  
"I guess it was kind of the same thing." Sam said. "But some times, when I couldn't take it any more, I did this." Sam pointed to her arm again.  
"Thats what I did. Well, do. I can't stop." Linda said, tears forming again.  
"It will get easier." Sam said. "I promise. And when it gets hard, don't hesitate to come to me."  
"Thank you." Linda replied. She had such good friends now from this job.  
"Its no problem at all." Sam said. "Just remember, Im here whenever. Night or day."  
"Thank you Sam." Linda said, and got up to hug her. She didn't care about the whopping headache it gave her.  
"Be careful with that head!" Sam said, pushing her back down and hugging her from the bed.  
"Ouch." Linda said, and gripped her head.  
"I can give you more pain relief soon." Sam said. "But not just yet. So keep still and it won't be so bad."  
"Thanks." Linda smiled.  
"No problem." Sam said, as she got up and left. Lenny walked back in.

"So how are you feeling?" Lenny asked, sitting down and taking hold of her hand.  
"Not too good." She whispered, as all the talking made her head pound. "My head is killing me."  
"Oh." Lenny said, and Linda winced. "Sorry." He whispered.  
"Its fine." She whispered.  
"I need to apologise." Lenny whispered. "I am so so so sorry."  
"For what?" Linda asked, confused.  
"For crashing the car." He said, feeling extremely guilty.  
"It wasn't your fault." Linda whispered.  
"Yes it was. I ran a red light." His eyes watered.  
"It was partly me." Linda said. "I took your attention away from the road."  
"No. I turned my attention to you by choice. It was my fault, not yours." He argued.  
"But I got sick." Linda said.  
"You couldn't help catching it." Lenny said. "Im sorry for everything."  
"So am I." Linda said. "Im sorry for dragging you down with all of my problems."  
"I don't care. I like helping you with them." Lenny said.  
"You do?" She asked.  
"Yeah." He said, and picked up her hand, kissing her knuckles. Linda smiled.  
"I love you Lyons." She said.  
"I love you too Andrews." He winked at her, stood up and kissed her. Lenny had to pull away after a while as leaning over the bed had made his back ache.  
"Sorry. My back hurts." Lenny said.  
"Go and rest." Linda said, grabbing his hand.  
"Only if you do." He raised an eyebrow.  
"I will if you do." Linda smiled with tired eyes. She didn't want him to go.  
"I will. So rest."  
"Okay." She grinned. Lenny loved seeing her smile like that.  
"You're smile is gorgeous." He said on his way out, and Linda grinned even more. She loved that man more than anything in the world right now.

Back in cubicles, Zoe was nervous. She couldn't be pregnant! It was just impossible. She kept telling herself to stop worrying, as it wasn't likely she was pregnant. But after what Nick said... She wondered what she was going to do!  
"Ready?" Nick asked, as he wanted to do the scan personally.  
"Um, yeah." Zoe said, leaning her head back against the pillow. She exhaled nervously as she felt the coldness of the gel on her abdomen and turned her head to the screen. A picture soon appeared, and Zoe knew in that moment, that she had overcome all odds. She was in fact carrying a child.

Her eyes filled with tears of happiness. She leaned back into the bed and let the tears roll down her face. Nick looked at her smiling and crying. He took her into his arms and they held each other, both crying. Nick didn't think that she would be able to carry a child after what she told him, but now he was overwhelmed. He was going to become a father! He felt Zoe rock with sobs into his chest.  
"Those had better be tears of joy." Nick said with watering eyes.  
"They are." She said. "They really are." She hugged him even tighter, and then she realised she didn't wipe the gel off. "Oh, Nick!"  
"What?" He said, pulling away, and looking at his suit. "Oh." He laughed.  
"Sorry!" She smiled and wiped tears away, grabbing the paper towel that Nick was giving her, and wiped the rest off. She took a clean towel and dabbed it off of Nicks suit.  
"You don't know how much I love you Zoe." Nick said, sitting on her bed.  
"I love you too Nick." Zoe said, her face getting closer to his. Her nose ended up touching his. "Always have done."

She kissed him passionatly, and he kissed her back.  
"Shall I print off two copies?" Nick asked. "One for you, one for me?"  
"Sure." Zoe said. "Shall we keep it secret?"  
"No. I want to tell everyone. We've been blessed Zoe." Nick smiled through tears.  
"Thank God. I wanted to aswell but I thought you would say the opposite." Zoe said.  
"So, are we in agreement?" Nick said, confirming.  
"Yes." He said, and went to collect the two pictures he had printed. On the way back, he met Lenny on his travels.

"Hey Mr Jordan." Lenny said, on the way back to his cubicle. "Are you... crying?"  
"Maybe." He said, and gave Lenny the picture upside down.  
"Whats this?" Lenny asked, turning over the picture. "An ultrasound scan? But who's-" He looked at the name on the photograph, and saw Nick smiling at him. "Congrats man!"  
"Thank you Doctor Lyons." Nick said, and took back the photograph. "Do me a favour and don't tell anyone. I'd like to tell everyone at the end of the day."  
"Okay. What ever you say Mr Jordan." Lenny smirked.  
"I mean it!" Nick pointed at him, and went back into Zoe's cubicle.

"Nick, can I go and tell Linda?" Zoe asked.  
"I wanted to tell everyone at the end of the day..." Nick said.  
"Please please please?" She begged. "She won't be able to go anywhere tonight."  
"Okay." Nick said, and Zoe hopped off the bed. "Be careful."  
"Don't worry." She said, with not a care in the world about the make up streaks on her face.

"Hey Linda." She whispered as she entered. "Are you awake?"  
"Yeah." Linda said thickly. She had been trying to sleep, but her headache was bad.  
"I need to tell you something." Zoe said, nearly squealing.  
"Can you whisper? I feel like ive had many many drinks." Linda smiled.  
"Oh, sorry." Zoe said. "Well, you know you thought that the pills were doing what they did to me before?"  
"Yeah..." Linda said. "Was it them?"  
"No." Zoe shook her head, crying again as she couldn't stop the tears.  
"Zoe, what's going on?" Linda wanted to know. Zoe couldn't speak so she just handed over the photograph. "Oh my god. Zoe Im so happy for you!" Linda said, not caring about her headache.  
"Thank you!" Zoe said, and hugged Zoe. "I want you to be the godmother."  
"Oh, wow. Are you sure?" Linda said. "Its so soon..."  
"You are my best friend." Zoe said. "You have helped me, taken me out for drinks, always been there, so yes. I want you to be the Godmother." Linda was crying again.  
"Thank you Zoe." Linda smiled. "Thank you so much!"  
"Its absolutly fine." She cried.  
"Does Nick approve?" Linda asked.  
"No Idea, but im not having anyone else as Godmother so he will have to approve, won't he?" Zoe laughed. She noticed Linda was tired. "Sorry for disturbing you. I just couldn't wait to tell someone."  
"Well Im glad you came to me first." Linda said. "It really means a lot Zoe."  
"Thank you." Zoe said, and stood up to leave. She smiled at her as she left, and Linda fell asleep easily, knowing she had something good to dream about.


	18. Chapter 18

Zoe was over the moon. Everyone had gathered in the staff room as Nick had organised what they thought was a staff meeting.  
"Alright, everyone." Nick shouted while standing tall over everyone else. Everyone hushed quickly. "Okay, well me a Zoe have some news for you all..."  
"Your getting married? Finally!" Lenny shouted out, fist punching the air. "Fifty quid." He pointed to Noel. Noel looked sad.  
"Nope, sorry doctor Lyons." Nick said, and Noel laughed at him.  
"HA HA HA." Noel said, pointing his finger in his face.  
"Then what is it?" Tess asked, curious.  
"Well, as you all know, Zoe was admitted earlier." Nick said. "We thought it was because of fertility pills she was taking as she was told she could never have children."  
"Oh, bless." Tess said, looking sypathetic.  
"But, have you ever heard of anyone defying the odds?" Nick smirked.  
"Oh! Your pregnant?" Sam said, and Zoe nodded, tears forming. "Congratulations you guys!"  
"I was joking you know." Lenny said to Noel. "I already knew about this."  
"Yeah, right." Noel said.  
"Its true, Im afraid. Mr Lyons here did already know." Nick said.  
"Haha." Lenny said.  
"Congrats Zoe." Tess said. "Really happy for you!"  
"Thank you tess!" Zoe beamed and hugged her. "How far gone?"  
"Seven weeks." Zoe said.  
"Wow!" Tess said. "You will make a great mother."  
"Thank you." Zoe smiled, and Tess left the room to go home, along with Charlie, Big Mac, Scarlett and Lloyd who had all wished them well. Sam was left talking to Dylan.

"Don't you ever wish that that was us?" Sam asked.  
"Well, not really." Dylan said. "If you hadn't had the affair, then maybe."  
"That was a one time thing, and it was a mistake." Sam said. "I said I was sorry."  
"A bit late for apologies don't you think?" Dylan said.  
"I apologised ages ago but you were having none of it." Sam said, getting angry.  
"And I said the same thing ages ago. Don't you listen?" Dylan fought back.  
"We could still be together." Sam whispered.  
"Could." Dylan said, and walked out.  
"Don't you ever want a child?" Sam said, just before he left.  
"Yes I do." Dylan said. "But not with you."  
"Why not? We are married!" Sam said.  
"Not for long."  
"What it that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.  
"I ordered for divorce." Dylan said.  
"What?" Sam said, tears in her eyes. She still loved Dylan.  
"Yeah." He said.  
"Why?" Her voice shook.  
"Because, you had an affair, and we have been away from each other for at least two years, so we are entitled to have one."  
"Just because we are able to get one doesn't mean we have to." Dylan heard the pain in her voice.  
"Well, you should have thought about your actions." Dylan said. "Im sorry Sam."  
"You're not sorry." Sam spat. "I still love you, you know."  
"And you showed it when you slept with another man." Dylan said, showing the hurt on his face, before opening the door.

Sam screamed and knocked a glass off the table, making it shatter. Dylan paused in the doorway.  
"Its your own fault." He whispered, before leaving, slamming the door behind him.

Sam just threw herself on the sofa and cried. She had blown it with him. She loved him and his weird sense of humor, but he hated her for what she did to him a few years ago. Why did she have an affair? She was married, happily!

She saw the broken glass on the floor, and thought to her conversation with Linda as her mind went straight back to self harm. There were a few big chunks of glass on the floor, and to Sam, she thought they would be perfect. She would hurt herself badly, so she could see how badly Dylan had hurt her from that one conversation and the years of ignorance.

Picking up a big chunk of glass, she pressed it into her inner elbow and nearly screamed out in pain, but she stopped herself. She dragged the glass further down her arm so it made a deep cut. She carried on down to her wrist. Taking the glass away from the skin, she soon realised what a mistake it was. You could see the blood run out of her skin. She had obviously hit a vein or a few of them at that...

She began on the other side, not caring about the pain anymore. It was taking her mind off Dylan, which she so desperatly wanted. Now making herself look symmetrical, she stood in the mirror to look at the damage.

Blood was trickling onto the floor and Sam began to feel dizzy. She wanted to find Linda, quickly before she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Linda. She had just told Linda that she was coping, when now it was so obvious that she wasn't. She didn't want Linda to feel like she could never stop the self harm. She wanted to do the opposite.

Now feeling extremely light headed and dizzy, she walked out of the staff room in search of resus. She swayed and stumbled, but managed to get there with no one watching. She banged through the doors, and Linda jumped out of her sleep. She sat up to see what was going on.

She gasped at the sight in front of her. Sam, covered in blood and fresh cuts on her arm. Linda shook her head despite the pain. No. This was a dream. This wasn't real. It couldn't be! Sam said she was coping with the self harm...  
"Sam?" Linda whispered, and Sam sunk to her knees. "Sam!" This was no longer a dream. "Help!" Linda screamed out. "HELP! ZOE! NICK!"

It felt like it took forever for someone to hear her, and Linda's voice was dry and her throat hurt Zoe burst in the room to see Sam suddenly slump onto the floor.  
"Oh my gosh, what happened here!" Zoe asked, picking up Sam who was now barely conscious. Zoe was kneeling in Sams blood, but she didn't care about her clothes right now. She normally would, but it was different. Zoe layed her down.  
"Im getting Nick." Zoe said to reassure Linda who was almost hysterical.

Zoe returned quickly with Nick, who picked up Sam's limp, pale body and layed her on a trolley. She set her up next to Linda, and began to assess.  
"Huge amount of blood loss." Zoe said. "Two deep gashes, one to either arm. Will probably need surgery to fix."  
"Pulse is very weak." Nick said. "Lets get her a few units."

They began to give her some blood to replace what she had lost as they put pressure on the wounds.  
"Nick, she will need surgery soon." Zoe said.  
"I know." Nick said, and Zoe put pressure on Sams other arm while Nick rang theatre.

"They will take her now." Nick said. "They aren't busy."  
"Please say she will be okay." Linda said, who was silently crying, watching the scene from her bed.  
"Look, just don't worry." Zoe said. "She will be fine."  
"You, you don't know that." Linda said through tears, and they wheeled her out of the ED.

A few minutes later, Dylan went into Linda's room and found her crying. He didn't want to ask.  
"Have you seen Sam?" He said, and noticed blood on the floor. "Urm..."  
"Yeah, I have seen her." Linda said, crying even more.  
"Where is she?" Dylan asked. "And what happened? There is like a trail of blood out here."  
"Its Sam's." Linda said.  
"What?" Dylan said, suddenly concerned.  
"Its Sam's blood!" Linda raised her voice.  
"No it's not." Dylan laughed.  
"Yes it bloody is!" Linda shouted. "She walked in here with two huge cuts on her arms and then collapsed on the floor! Don't ever laugh. I wasn't lying."  
"It couldn't have been Sam." Dylan shook his head. "Last thing I knew, she was in the staff room!"  
"Well not any more!" Linda said, angry with him for laughing. "She is going down to theatre if you must know. Go and find her there, I am NOT a liar!" Linda cried even harder.  
"Right..." Dylan said, worried. He ran down to theatre and met Zoe and Nick on the way there, both covered in blood too.

"Tell me it isn't Sam? Linda told me it was, but she had a head injury so I couldn't believe her." Dylan said, smiling.  
"What are you smiling for?" Zoe asked.  
"Because I know its not true! I saw Sam minutes before Linda." Dylan said.  
"Well, it is true!" Zoe snapped at him. "Sam is in there in critical condition!"  
"She is?" Dylan said, shocked and guilty at how he treated Linda.  
"Yes." Zoe said, appalled by him. "Move." She said, pushing past him. He stood there, shocked.  
"Is she alright?" He stuttered.  
"Depends what you mean." Nick said. "She is stable, but lost a lot of blood."  
"Oh." Dylan said. "How?"  
"She cut herself with glass!" Zoe said, and stomped up the stairs in her heels. Nick followed her.

She walked straight into Linda's room, and hugged her. Someone had cleaned up all the blood there. Linda was in hysterics.  
"He just walked in here and laughed when I told him what happened!" She cried. "He didn't believe a word I said."  
"I know. Did the same to me." Zoe said, in tears also from seeing Linda crying again.  
"It was horrible." Linda said. "She just walked in here and fell to the floor covered in blood. She self harmed, didn't she? She told me about it earlier and-"  
"Shh. Don't work yourself up." Zoe said, and Lenny walked in to see Linda.  
"Whats happened?" Lenny asked, seeing Linda in hysterics. He looked to Nick who was watching.  
"Sam has been taken down to theatre." Nick explained. "She cut her arms with broken glass in the staff room."  
"Oh no." Lenny said. He could understand why Linda was so upset. "Is she alright?"  
"Well, she was stable when we took her down, but she is now in the hands of the surgeons." Nick said, and Lenny walked over to Linda. Zoe let go of her so Lenny could hold her.  
"It was so horrible Lenny." She whispered in his ear as he hugged her. "She just walked in here and collapsed on the floor." He didn't know what to say so he held her until she quietened down a little.  
"Why don't you try and rest? You have been through a lot today." Lenny said, and Zoe and Nick excused themselves.  
"How can I rest knowing about Sam?" Linda said. "She told me a story today about her past life and everything. I feel like I know her better."  
"She will be fine, im sure." Lenny tried to calm her.  
"But you don't know that!" Linda said, feeling her pain medication wear off again. She winced as she felt pain in her head. Lenny heard her take a sharp intake of breath.  
"Please rest. You will feel better tomorrow." Lenny said.  
"Zoe made me godmother to her child earlier." Linda said. She knew it wasn't the right time to say, but she needed to tell him.  
"Think about that then, and rest." Lenny said, kissing her. He could taste her salty tears.  
"Okay." Linda said, tired of crying and the sadness. She wanted to concentrate on the happiness.  
"Now sleep. I will stay until you fall asleep." He sat in the chair next to her.  
"Thank you. I love you." She said, shutting her eyes.  
"I love you too." Lenny said, holding her hand to provide some comfort. He also leaned back, and shut his eyes.

A few minutes later, Linda heard Lenny snoring. He said he would wait for her to fall asleep but he fell asleep first.  
"Typical." She tutted, and shut her eyes again, only to be plagued by nightmares of Sam.


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning, Linda woke up in tears. She dreamt about what she saw before she went to sleep. Sam self harmed, and Linda couldn't believe it. Sam was always happy, or so she looked. But all of the scars looked well healed! Was it her fault for talking about it, then putting the idea in her head? No, please not...

"Hey." Zoe said, walking into the door.  
"Hey." Linda said, seeing that her head felt a little bit better. "Whats the time?"  
"Just gone nine." Zoe smiled. "How are you?"  
"Im better, I think." Linda said. "But it hurts a bit when I breath."  
"Thats because you bruised your chest." Zoe said.  
"Oh." Linda said. "Can I see my patient notes?"  
"Don't you have a headache?" Zoe said.  
"I don't care." Linda said. "Pleeaase?"  
"Fine." Zoe said, and handed them to her. She flicked through and quinted at it, then threw it down and sighed.  
"My stupid head ugh." Linda said, shutting her eyes.  
"I told you." Zoe said, sitting down in the chair.  
"Where's Lenny?" She asked. "He fell asleep in that chair."  
"I woke him up last night before I left." Zoe said. "It wouldn't do his back any good in that chair."  
"Oh, good." Linda said.  
"Yeah."  
"Well, thank you for last night." Linda said to Zoe. "You're a great friend."  
"Thank you." Zoe said. She couldn't smile at the memories though.  
"How is Sam?" Linda asked, eyes welling up as she said her name.  
"The surgery went okay, but she damaged some tendons in her right hand. She will need physiotherapy to regain full use of it." Zoe said.  
"Oh." Linda said, a tear slipping out, and she tried to cover it up.  
"You can cry. Its okay." Zoe said, and put her hand on Linda's knee. She sobbed, and shook her head.  
"Sorry." Linda said, and wiped the tears away trying to pull herself together.  
"Its fine." Zoe said.  
"Its not fine." Linda said. "It was my fault!"  
"No it wasn't!" Zoe said. "What makes you think that?"  
"She told me about the time she used to, you know." Linda made the action of sawing on her arm. "She said she hadn't done it for years... then she goes and does it right after she spoke to me!"  
"That wasn't your fault." Zoe said.  
"But it was Zoe." she whispered. "If I hadn't ever done it in the first place, she wouldn't have done it."  
"You don't know that!" Zoe said. "She could have just cracked, once. Don't blame yourself for this. Im sure she had a reason to do it."  
"I guess so." Linda said. "I know how it feels." Zoe didn't know what to say. "Can I see her?"  
"Not just yet." Zoe shook her head.  
"Why not?" Linda asked. "Can't I go in the same room as her?"  
"I guess." Zoe shrugged. "She is just in the other room but it won't be good for your head."  
"I don't care." Linda said. "I want to see her."  
"Okay." Zoe said, not approving. She began to roll the trolley and Linda winced.  
"I see what you mean about the not good for your head part." Linda said.  
"I told you." Zoe said. "Are you sure you want to go?"  
"Yeah." Linda said, and they carried on.

When they arrive, Linda's headache had gotten a lot worse, and she was dizzy. Zoe noticed that she looked pale.  
"You alright?"  
"No. Im gonna be sick." Linda said, and Zoe passed her a cardboard bowl. She threw up, then panicked. It was blood. "Oh my god." She said before slumping against the bed, unconsious.  
"Linda?" Zoe said. "Linda! Can I get some help in here please!"

Lenny came running around the corner as he knew that Zoe had been with her.  
"What happened?" Lenny asked, seeing her lips were red with blood. "Oh god."  
"Nick!" Zoe shouted, and Lenny ran out to get him.  
"Whats happening?" He asked, and saw Linda. He instantly felt her abdomen.  
"Nothing wrong with her abdomen." Nick said. "Is it possible that a fragment of bone from her ribs has punctured a lung?"  
"Well, the xrays came back clear." Zoe shrugged, and checked Linda's airway. "Airway is clear..."  
"Get her in for another scan." Nick said, and then Linda coughed.  
"Linda." Lenny said, looking at her. "Its okay, its okay." She slumped back down tiredly and gripped her head.  
"Its getting hard to breath." She wheezed.  
"Get her in for a scan NOW." Zoe said, and they wheeled her down.

The scan was over quickly but Linda's breathing had got worse. Looking over the scan, there was definatly proof of a punctured lung.  
"Okay she needs to go to theatre." Zoe said, stressed.  
"Let me do this." Nick said. "Stress isn't good for the baby."  
"Im not leaving Linda." Zoe said.  
"Fine." Nick said, annoyed that she would risk the baby's life for her best friend.  
"Don't look at me like that." Zoe shook her head.  
"Im not looking at you like anything." Nick said, and they continued to wheel her up to resus.

Half way there, Linda fell unconscious again, probably from lack of oxygen.  
"Okay, the quicker this is done, the better!" Zoe said, and she hated seeing her friend like that on a trolley.  
"Agreed." Nick said, and they carried on down to theatre.

Zoe and Nick had other jobs to get on with, which made them very busy. Lenny, however, was left on his own in his own room, with nothing to do but worry about his girlfriend. He remembered the crash, and he knew it was his fault. Tears pricked at his eyes as he thought about Linda. Concussed, fractured skull, punctured lung... How was she coping?

Then Lenny thought that maybe she liked this. He knew it was weird, but it was her mind off the self harm and Sam... It made him feel even more guilty.

He picked up his own patient notes and read them through again and again so that he knew them word for word. He was seriously bored. Normally he would be the practical joker, but he really didn't feel like doing anything like that at the minute, knowing Linda was having surgery because of him.

He refused to cry. Lenny Lyons never cried. He didn't like to seem weaker infront of his collegues. But to his dismay, a tear slipped down his cheek just as Zoe walked into the room. Lenny quickly wiped it away, and Zoe noticed.  
"When will you learn, that you are allowed to cry once in a while?" She said.  
"Sorry." He said, with red eyes. "I just hate crying in front of people."  
"Why?" Zoe asked.  
"Never mind." He said, not wanting to talk about it.  
"Well, Linda's surgery is going well." Zoe said. "Nearly done."  
"Thanks for the update." Lenny said.  
"No problem." Zoe said, standing up to leave. "You can always talk to me you know."  
"Yeah." Lenny smiled. "Thank you." He said, and she walked out. Zoe always knew how to make people feel better.


	20. Chapter 20

"Hey, Sam." Lenny said, talking to her while she was unconsious. "I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for talking to Linda about her... you know... her habit. I know that you did what she does."

"I know this is going to sound strange, but I don't mean it badly. Thank you for showing Linda your injuries before you collapsed. I think you scared her, so maybe now she will know not to do it again... Wow that sounded horrible." He shook his head. "I hope you wake up soon, Sam. Linda needs a friend like you to help her through it, and i'm sure she would do the same for you."

He looked at Sam's arms, covered in bandages from the surgery so that no scars were visible to see. He sighed knowing what was underneath the bandages.

"Ive also seen Dylan come in here a few times. Looked so worried, which was weird, because he isn't normally like that. I think he likes you." Lenny chuckled. "Linda would come and visit, but she took a turn for the worst." He took hold of her hand. "A fragment of bone from one of her ribs got into her lung and punctured it. She is in theatre right now."

"I hope she is okay. It was all my fault." He said, feeling a lump form in his throat. "The crash was my fault. If I hadn't turned to look at her then we wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here."

"I wanted to say sorry, as I probably caused you to do this. I am really sorry." A tear fell down his face. "Please don't hurt yourself like she does. I don't think I could cope with another person doing it in the hospital. Please wake up soon. Linda needs you, and i'm sorry."  
"Don't be." He heard a whisper, and Sam squeezed his hand. "It wasn't your fault."  
"Sam." Lenny said, wiping the tears away, hoping she wouldn't see them. "How much of that did you hear?"  
"Thank you for talking to Linda about her... you know... her habit." Sam repeated. She had obviously taken in every word that he had said.  
"So, you heard allof that?" Lenny asked, sighing.  
"Yeah." Sam whispered, and slowly opened her eyes. "How bad was it?"  
"You or Linda?"  
"Me." She said. She knew she was stupid to do the harming that badly.  
"I don't know if I am the one to tell you." Lenny said nervously.  
"That bad huh?" She nodded.  
"Well..."  
"Just tell me." She pressed.  
"Okay... Well, you damaged the tendons in your hand pretty bad."  
"Which hand?" She asked.  
"Your right hand." Lenny said.  
"Crap."  
"You write with that hand?"  
"Yeah." She sighed.  
"Well, the doctors said you will need physiotherapy if you are going to regain full use of it."  
"Oh." Sam said, sadly.  
"Yeah..." Lenny said.  
"Lenny?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Please tell Linda that it wasn't her that made me do this... I feel so bad."  
"I will." Lenny nodded.  
"The reason Dylan kept coming in was because it was him that drove me to it."  
"It was?"  
"Yes." Sam sighed. "You won't tell anyone this apart from Linda, okay?"  
"Sure." Lenny said.  
"Well, I was thinking about Zoe and the baby." She sighed. This was hard for her. "I wanted a kid really bad."  
"Oh."  
"But then I broke up with my husband... And I never got what I wanted. It was my own fault really."  
"Wait." Lenny said, confused. "Husband?"  
"Yes." Sam said. "I am married." She lifted her hand to show the ring. "But it was my own fault with the marriage failing. I had an affair."  
"You did?"  
"Yes. With one of my friends in the Army. My husband found out."  
"Who was your husband?" Lenny asked, and Sam suddenly felt self conscious.  
"Take a guess." She said, looking at him. Lenny realised.  
"Dylan." He whispered. "That is why he was always in here."  
"Yeah." Sam said, eyes filled with tears. "I guess I kind of got angry that I could have had children with him, and I just blew it." She let the tears fall down her face. Lenny didn't know what to say. "Just promise me something."  
"Okay."  
"Don't ever hurt Linda the way I hurt Dylan." Sam said, looking deep into his eyes. "I don't think I could bare to see her like he was."  
"Don't worry. I love her to bits. I wouldn't ever hurt her." Lenny said, as Zoe opened the door.  
"Sorry, am I..."  
"No." Sam said, wiping her face.  
"Well, Im glad to see you awake." Zoe said. "You scared me."

Sam saw Lenny walking out.  
"Wait, Lenny!"  
"Yeah?"  
"How's Linda doing?"  
"I don't know yet. She is still in theatre." Lenny sighed.  
"Thats what I came in to tell you." Zoe said. "Surgery went fine. She is in the same room as before."  
"Thank you." Lenny said, dashing out.

"Can I see her?" Sam asked.  
"You can when she is awake." Zoe said.  
"How long will that be?" Sam asked, desperate to see her.  
"Depends. She was tired before they sedated her, so it could be a while. Plus, I need to check you over now that you are back in the land of the living." Zoe smiled.  
"Okay." Sam said, not looking forward to it.  
"Look into this for me." Zoe said, shining a torch into each eye. It made her squint as she was still tired. Zoe understood.  
"Please let me see her." Sam said.  
"I will when she is awake!" Zoe said.  
"But I need to see her. Now." Sam said. "I need to give her something. I want it to be a surprise when she wakes up."  
"I can put you in the same room." Zoe suggested. "I guess then you will get to see her."  
"Please." Sam said, and Zoe got someone to help wheel her down to Linda's room.

She got wheeled in, and she saw Linda sleeping. She looked calm...  
"Can you put me next to her for one minute?" Sam asked.  
"Sure." Zoe said. "I can leave you alone for a bit..."  
"No. Its fine." Sam said, and reached behind her neck to take off a necklace. She struggled because of her hands.  
"Let me." Zoe said, seeing her begin to get frustrated. So Sam lifted her hair up, and Zoe took off the necklace.  
"Can you put it on her for me?" She asked.  
"Are you sure?" Zoe asked, seeing how pretty the necklace was. It looked to be quite old aswell.  
"Yeah." Sam said. "It was my mothers. I always looked at it being good luck, and it helped me a lot. I want it to help her, too."  
"Thats really nice." Zoe smiled, and put the necklace on Linda. "She will really love that." Sam smiled back.  
"Thank you." Sam said, seeing her finish.  
"No problem." Zoe said. "Now, I need to go, and I want you to rest."  
"I've only just woken up!"  
"From an injury. You need to rest. I will leave you right there if it helps." Zoe said.  
"Okay." Sam sighed, and she wondered where Lenny got to. "Where did Lenny go?"  
"Oh, Nick is checking him over again." Zoe said.  
"Oh, and Zoe?" She said, before Zoe turned around.  
"Yeah?"  
"Congratulations." Sam said. "About the baby."  
"Thank you so much." Zoe said, putting her hand on her stomach, and leaving the two friends alone. Sam rested her head on the pillow, and tried to stop thinking about what she had done.

She had made Linda worry so much! She didn't want to, but it might have been for the best, like what Lenny said. It might have made her scared not to do it again. If that was the case, then Sam was happy about what she did, even if it meant countless visits to physio. She lifted up her left hand and tried to more it. She could move all her fingers just fine, but her arm hurt which was understandable. She tried her left, and she saw what they meant about tendon damage. Her arm stung, and her fingers barely moved, however hard she tried. She sighed, and shut her eyes, hoping to wake up and everything would be okay.


	21. Chapter 21

_*"Dylan!" Sam cried as he walked out the door.  
"No, Sam!" Dylan shouted. "Ive had enough."  
"Please don't go!" She cried, tears streaming down her face.  
"Why?"  
"Because I love you!" Sam shouted.  
"Obviously not enough." Dylan said, and carried on walking. Sam ran down the steps into the rain and fell to her knees and sobbed.  
"Please." She whispered, making Dylans heart break.  
"Im sorry Sam." He said. "Not this time." He said, and turned the corner, leaving Sam sat on the floor, crying her heart out. Why did she have to cheat on him?*_

Sam felt someone hold her hand as she came back to reality. She shifted to get comfy, turning to face the left, and she opened her eyes. She jumped when she saw Linda looking back at her with wide worried eyes.  
"Are you okay?" She asked, shifting to face Sam.  
"Fine, why?" Sam said, thick with sleep.  
"You were talking in your sleep." She said. She had never done that before...  
"Oh." She said, and realised what had happened. "How are you anyway?"  
"Sore." She said, putting her hand on her chest. "Its harder to breath than before."  
"It will be." Sam said, resting her eyes.  
"Sorry. I woke you up." Linda said, moving about.  
"No, its fine. Im glad you are awake." Sam said, and she saw the necklace fall down from Linda's neck and rested on her shoulder. Linda looked down and stared at it.  
"Whats that?" She said, picking up up, and realising it was around her neck. She undid it, and held it in front of her. "Wow." She said, in awe. "Its so pretty!"  
"Its yours now." Sam smiled.  
"No, no I can't take it." Linda tried to give it back, but Sam shook her head.  
"Please, take it." She said. "Its for good luck. My mother passed it down to me for luck, and you need it more than I do."  
"But, your mother passed this down to you. I can't take it." Linda said, staring at it.  
"Please." Sam said. "I want you to have it."  
"Really?" Linda said, welling up.  
"Yes." Sam said, seeing Linda's reaction.  
"Thank you." Linda said, and continued to stare at it. It was so pretty. It looked like gold, and felt heavy like gold. It had a cresent moon on it, and a little diamond at the bottom.  
"Its fine." Sam said, looking at her hands.  
"How are your hands?" Linda said, seeing Sam look at them. Sam felt sad thinking about them.  
"Well, theyre not great." Sam said. "I won't be able to write for a few months."  
"Oh." Linda replied.  
"I damaged the tendons in my right hand." She said.  
"Sorry."  
"Don't be." Sam said. "It was my own fault."  
"You scared me, you know." Linda said. "It was horrible seeing you walk in holding your arms, and then fall to the floor."  
"Good." Sam said.  
"Good?" Linda asked, confused.  
"Im glad I scared you." Sam said.  
"Why?"  
"Because maybe now you have learnt how bad self harm can be." Sam told her. "I don't mean to sound as if scaring you like that was a good thing, but I think it helped you, in a way."  
"Oh." Linda said, remembering that nights events. "Maybe you learnt too."  
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.  
"You don't like scaring your friends. Your self harming scares your friends!"  
"Oh." Sam said.  
"Zoe was worried, as was Nick." Linda said, and her face dropped. "Dylan was mean though."  
"How?" Sam said, perking up byhearing his name.  
"He walked in here, looking for you, and he said about the trail of blood outside. I said to him that it was yours, and he just laughed at me!"  
"He didn't." She said, gasping.  
"He did. I told him it was true, and he said it couldn't have been as he saw you in the staff room just minutes ago."  
"But Zoe said he visited me a lot."  
"He probablyfelt bad for laughing at you behind your back." Linda snarled. "I can't believe he laughed.  
"Me either." Sam said, feeling tears in her eyes. Her husband laughed after finding out what she had done. She couldn't ever feel the same for him again.  
"Don't get upset." Linda said, feeling guilty for thinking she said something wrong. "Im sure it was just Dylan being Dylan.  
"But it wasn't." Sam shook her head. "I should know."  
"How?" Linda asked.  
"We are married." She whispered, and Lindas jaw dropped. Sam couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.  
"You, and Dylan!" She said. "Since when!"  
"Since about five years ago." Sam said. "We have been apart for three years though."  
"Oh, why?"  
"Because." Sam gulped. "I cheated."  
"You didn't!" Linda said, and Sam laughed at her reaction again.  
"I did. When I was in the Army." She said, and held back tears again.  
"Oh." Linda said.  
"We had an arguement last night." Sam said.  
"Was that the reason you...?" Linda said.  
"Yeah." Sam nodded. "I felt so bad after. I just told you I was coping, and then I go and do that."  
"Don't feel bad." Linda said. "Everyone slips up and makes the odd mistake."  
"But this was a bad one." Sam told her. "I could have lost the use of my hand."  
"But you didn't." Linda said, and Sam smiled t her.  
"You are so lucky that you have someone so kind and caring to be with you." Sam said, thinking of Lenny and Linda's relationship. "Lenny is a great person to be with."  
"I know." Linda smiled, obviously happy with the thought of them together. "I love him so much."  
"I know. I can see it in your eyes." Sam said. "I can tell that he makes you happy."  
"He does." Linda said, and he walked in the door.  
"Speak of the devil." Sam laughed, and Lenny went and stood by the other side of Linda's bed.  
"Nick just finished checking me over." He said, and noticed Linda's necklace.  
"Oh, Sam gave it to me. Isn't it pretty?"  
"It is." He said, and held it between his thumb and forefinger.  
"I was just telling her what a lucky girl she is, having someone like you looking after her." Sam winked at him.  
"Oh." He smiled. "Thank you."  
"Its fine." Sam laughed. "If you push my bed over there, I will give you some privacy."  
"Okay." Lenny said, and pushed her.

As Sam was on the other side of the room, Lenny pulled over a chair and sat next to his girlfriend.  
"How are you feeling?" He asked.  
"Better." She whispered. "Im really sore here though." She pointed to her chest.  
"It will." He said. "I can make you feel better."  
"How?" She said, and he leaned over and kissed her. "That did make me feel better."  
"Told you." He said, and took hold of her hand.  
"I love you so much Lyons." She smiled and pulled his face closer to hers.  
"I love you more, Andrews." He said, and they kissed passionatly, before pulling away to see Zoe about to walk in.


	22. Chapter 22

"How are we all in here?" Zoe asked, as her heels clicked on the floor.  
"Fine." Linda smiled at her, and then turned her attention back to Lenny.  
"What about you Sam?" She asked.  
"Fine." Sam said, and turned back around.  
"Did anyone tell you about your arms?" Zoe asked quietly.  
"Yep." Sam said, feeling sorry for herself. "Lenny did. He didn't want to but I made him."  
"Oh." Zoe said. "Did he tell you-"  
"I need physio to be able to gain full use?" Sam asked. "Yes."  
"No, actually." She said. "Did he tell you about the surgery?"  
"Oh." Sam said. "Yeah."  
"Okay." Zoe said. "I might aswell not do my job."  
"I made him tell me Zoe." Sam smiled.  
"I know. Im just kidding." Zoe said. "Are you in any pain? I have to look when your next pain meds are due..."  
"No, im fine Zoe." Sam said. "They only hurt when I moved them."  
"Okay." Zoe said, flicking through patient notes. "Turns out they are due in an hour anyway."  
"Okay." Sam said. "How are you?"  
"Im fine!" Zoe beamed.  
"Im so glad your happy." Sam grinned. "I wish I could have a child."  
"You will." Zoe said. "Someday, with someone special."  
"I hope so." Sam said sadly.  
"Im sure you will." Zoe sat on her bed. "You are beautiful, kind, fun to be around... Any man would be lucky to have you."  
"Thanks Zoe." Sam said. "Ill be lucky to get someone as great as Nick. Or like you Lenny." She said the last part louder.  
"What?" Lenny asked, hearing his name.  
"Oh, doesn't matter." Sam smiled, and he turned back to Linda. Sam and Linda watched for a while. They were so sweet, Lenny and Linda.  
"You will find someone." Zoe said, seeing Sam watch them aswell as her.  
"Thanks." Sam said. She loved talking to Zoe. She always knew what to say. She watched her walked back over to Linda.

"Are you in any pain?" Zoe said, making Linda and Lenny pull apart.  
"Yeah when I breath." Linda said.  
"Your arms feel okay?"  
"Yeah." Linda said, examining her bandages.  
"Good." Zoe said, and walked back over to Sam.

"Okay, I want you to hold my hand, and squeeze it as hard as you can." Zoe said, taking hold her her left hand. Zoe felt a lot of pressure from it. "Okay, now this side." Sam Lifted her hand and put it on Zoe's but couldn't even close her hand properly. Sam tried hard, but her fingers just wouldn't grasp Zoe's.  
"Ugh." Sam said, watching her fingers.  
"Its fine. Thats all I was expecting at the moment." Zoe said. "With physio it will be fine. Ive seen people with worse injuries come back to be fully healthy."  
"And I have seen people with less bad injuries and not regain full use." Sam rolled her eyes.  
"Keep positive!" Zoe said. "Most people with injuries like this get better."  
"Yeah, better. Not cured." Sam said. "Its my own fault though."  
"A lot do get cured. Have faith." Zoe said, before leaving the room.

"It will be fine, Sam." Linda said from the other side of the room. "Im sure of it."  
"Whatever you say." Sam smiled at her, not believing a word.  
"It will." Linda said, taking hold of the necklace. "I know it."  
"Thanks, but its okay anyway." Sam said. "I have a hidden talent."  
"Ooh." Lenny said. "What is it?" Sam laughed at hout intrigued they were.  
"Im ambidextrous." Sam said, smirking.  
"No way." Linda shook her head. "I always used to practice writing with both hands but always failed to make it neat."  
"Show us." Lenny said, wanting to see it to believe it.  
"Sure." Sam said. "Get me some paper and pen. You have seen me write with my right hand, right? I cant prove that one right now because of what i've done to it."  
"Yeah I have." Linda nodded, and Lenny got some paper and a pen for her.  
"Go on then." Lenny urged, and Sam began to write on the paper. It was so neat. Neater than his writing had ever been. "Wow."  
"See?" Sam said, and showed Linda.  
"Its so neat and small!" Linda gawped at the paper.  
"Don't tell anyone though." Sam said. "I want an excuse not to write."  
"Ha. Okay." Lenny laughed.  
"Im serious. Don't."  
"Your secret is safe with me." He winked, and Linda nodded.  
"Good." Sam said. "I know who it will be if someone else finds out." Lenny and Linda looked at each other. "Im going for a walk."  
"No, Sam." Lenny said. "You need to stay in bed."  
"Why?" She asked. "My legs aren't effected."  
"You are attached to a drip!" Lenny said, and gasped when she pulled it out.  
"Not anymore." Sam said. "Im so bored. I want to walk about."  
"You shouldn't have done that! Zoe will have a cow..." Linda said.  
"She is having a child, not a cow." Sam laughed, and jumped off the bed. "See? Fine."  
"Okay..." Linda said, and saw Sam's arm bleeding from the drip she took out. "Please put something on that."  
"On what?" Sam said, and Linda pointed to where she pulled the needle out. It was bleeding and dripped on the floor. "Crap."  
"That wouldn't have happened if you didn't get up!" Linda said, worrying about Sam.  
"Im fine." Sam said, and began walking towards the door.  
"Zoe!" Lenny shouted, making Linda wince, and Zoe walked in just as Sam opened the door.

"Why are you out of bed?" Zoe asked Sam.  
"I need to walk. I don't like being restricted." Sam said.  
"Are you feeling alright?" Zoe asked.  
"I feel fine." She replied.  
"Fine. Walk around for a little while, but I want you back here in fifteen minutes at the most." Zoe said.  
"Alright." Sam sighed, and took off towards the staff room. She probably went to get something from her locker.  
"Did she pull out her IV?" Zoe asked, seeing the drop of blood on the floor.  
"Yup." Linda said. "We tried to stop her."  
"Okay, no worries." Zoe said, and walked back out of the room after cleaning the blood from the floor.

"Finally, room to ourselves." Lenny smiled, and Linda layed against the pillow.  
"I have a headache." Linda said, rubbing her head.  
"Sorry. My fault." He said, realising he shouted for Zoe.  
"Its fine." Linda said.  
"You are probably due some pain relief soon." Lenny said.  
"Yeah, I want it." She replied. "I will tell you something."  
"What?"  
"Throwing up blood is NOT pleasant AT ALL." She said, nearly gagging at the thought of it.  
"I wouldn't think it was." Lenny frowned.  
"I mean it was horrible. I hate the taste of blood anyway, but it made me panick as I thought something was seriously wrong. I felt like I was going to faint and everything... I panicked because you weren't there and I didn't know what was happening."  
"It was serious." Lenny said. "But you are a fighter."  
"I thought I would never see you again." Linda said. "And it would have been all my fault."  
"No, it was mine. I caused the bloody crash." Lenny whispered.  
"No, Lenny. You were worried about me and I took your attention away from the road." Linda tried to reason.  
"I was the one driving. I am the one to blame."  
"I know I was partly to blame, so we are both at fault." Linda compromised.  
"No, Linda..."  
"No. I am not letting you take the full blame here." She said, and gripped her head.  
"I am getting Zoe to give you more pain relief." Lenny said, and stood up to lean over her and kiss her. It lasted a few seconds, before Lenny pulled away to walk out. Linda was upset. She knew that Lenny was blaming himself. and she would need to find a way to show him he wasn't to blame.

Lenny returned to Zoe, and she set up the pain relief.  
"This one will put you to sleep im afraid." Zoe said, seeing she was agitated.  
"No, please." Linda said. "I want to stay with Lenny."  
"Ill be here." He said, and grabbed hold of her hand, and a tear fell down her cheek.  
"It will do you good to get some rest." Zoe said sympathetically, seeing her cry.  
"I don't want to sleep." She sobbed, and turned to her right where Lenny was.  
"Get some rest." He said. "I won't leave."  
"You promise?" She sniffed.  
"I promise." He smiled to encourage her.  
"Okay." She sighed, panicking a little.  
"Okay?" Zoe said, and got the medication ready. She put it into her arm via the IV drip, and Zoe and Lenny watched Linda while the drug took effect. Her face began to relax as a final tear fell down her cheek and she shut her eyes.  
"I love you Lyons." She said.  
"I love you too Andrews." He said, but he didn't think she heard him. She was already asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

"Id better go and find Sam." Zoe said, taking off her gloves.  
"Id help but I told Linda I wouldn't leave." Lenny said, and held Linda's hand as she slept.  
"No, its fine. I understand." Zoe said, and rushed out the room looking for her stray patient.

She checked the staffroom but she wasn't there, so she went to ask Noel if he had seen her.  
"Hey." Zoe said as she approached him.  
"Hey Dr Hanna." He smiled. It was so wide that it reminded Zoe of the cheshire cat.  
"Have you by any chance seen Sam anywhere?" She asked.  
"Yeah. Ladies loos." He pointed.  
"I know where they are." Zoe said, and went to find Sam.

She found her washing her hands. Sam sighed when Zoe walked in.  
"You told me I had fifteen minutes." She rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah, and its been fifteen minutes." Zoe said, and they left the room and returned to Sam's room. Sam got into her bed, and Zoe got another drip ready.  
"I don't need that." Sam said, pulling her arm away. I am fine."  
"You lost a lot of blood, therefore we need to get all of the fluids back in you." Zoe said. "You should know this, Sam."  
"I do know it. But I know that I feel fine." Sam said, but Zoe glared at her and Sam gave in, wincing when the needle entered her arm. She breathed in through her teeth. "This was irrelevant. It hurt more than my arms do!"  
"It will do you good in the long run." Zoe said. "You're lucky I let you walk about."

They day went past without any drama, and the next morning, Linda then awoke from the medication and gripped Lenny's hand. He had stayed with her all night.  
"Hey gorgeous." He said, and reached over to kiss her.  
"Hey." She said, glad to be awake. She looked at Zoe who was checking over Sam, and Zoe then felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. It was the same pain from the other day. The same cramp, but it felt ten times worse. She doubled over and gripped her stomach.  
"Zoe?" Linda said, extremely concerned.  
"Its nothing." Zoe said, and ran out of the room. Sam's face was pale and Linda could tell she was worried aswell. Linda knew where Zoe had gone. To the ladies toilets.  
"I will go and see whats up." Linda said, removing the drip from her arm, but keeping the needle in her arm.  
"I hope she is okay." Lenny said, worried for his collegue.

"Zoe?" Linda said as she crept in to the toilets. "Are you okay?" Linda heard sobbing from the middle cubicle.  
"No." She said, and flushed the toilet before opening the door. "Im miscarrying."  
"Oh, Zoe." Linda said, and opened her arms. Zoe willingly took it. "Im so sorry."

Zoe couldn't answer anything at the minute. She was devastated. The one time she thought she could have a child, she had it taken away from her. What were the chances she could have a child of her own now? She knew the chances weren't. They might even be zero! What was Nick going to say? She was sobbing uncontrollably.  
"Shh." Linda said, as she held her. "Do you want me to tell Nick for you?"  
"Please. I don't think I could." Zoe said, standing upright and trying to stop the tears from flowing. They wouldn't stop.  
"Okay." Linda said. "You go and get someone to check you over, and I will tell Nick."

Linda wasn't looking forward to telling Nick, as she knew how happy they were together. She didn't want to be the person to deliver the news, but it was a favour for Zoe. Linda was always there for her friends.

She walked up to his office and took a shakey breath, before knocking on the door. She heard a stern 'Come in.' before entering. "Linda. How are you feeling?"  
"Fine, thanks." She said, and folded her arms across her chest before sitting down in front of his desk.  
"What can I do for you?"  
"Its about Zoe." Linda said with a glum expression.  
"Is she alright?" Nick asked, seeing Linda was nervous.  
"Well, not really..." Linda said.  
"Whats wrong?" Nick pressed, and Linda felt pressurised.  
"I don't know how to say this." Linda said, shaking. "Its about the baby."  
"What?" Nick asked, getting agitated.  
"She..."  
"Spit it out..." Nick said, annoyed that it was taking her so long. Linda's eyes filled with tears again.  
"She miscarried." Linda said, and she her hands shook. She couldn't bare to look at Nicks face.  
"Oh." He said, and Linda could hear the pain in his voice. "Oh."  
"Im so sorry." Linda said, tears falling down her face.  
"Where is she?" Nick asked, standing up, and Linda got a glimpse of his face. He was trying to hold himself together. His face was red and so were his eyes, but he was determined not to cry in front of Linda. It was a side to Nick that Linda had never seen before, and wished she would never see again.  
"I got someone to check her over. Im guessing in cubicles." She said, almost choking out a sob. She didn't want to in front of Nick in case it made him feel worse.  
"Okay." He said, and stood up to leave. He left the room without saying another word to Linda, and he left her in his office on her own. She understood that he didn't want to speak to her, but now that she was alone, all she wanted to do was cry. Her eyes flashed to the table where she came across Nick's compass. She thought about it... but then thought of Sam.

"Sam." Linda said, rushing into her room. Lenny was still there, and he was anxious to hear news.  
"Whats wrong?" Lenny asked, as he saw Linda was crying.  
"I nearly did it again." She sobbed. "But I thought of you and got away while I could." Lenny sighed with relief.  
"Good." Sam said. "Im glad you didn't hurt yourself."  
"But its Zoe." Linda said again, before walking into Lenny's arms.  
"What about Zoe? Is she okay?" Lenny asked, and Sam listened. Linda shook her head.  
"She, she miscarried." Linda said, and held on even closer to Lenny. She shut her eyes so she wouldn't see their reactions. Sam put her hand over her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears as she imagined the pain that Zoe was going through right now. Lenny was upset, but he concentrated more on comforting Linda at the minute.  
"Its okay." Lenny said, rocking Linda gently.  
"But its not." Linda said, sobbing into his t-shirt. "Zoe will probably never be able to have children."  
"I know." He said. "But don't get yourself worked up too much okay? Im here."

He continued to hold her until she pulled herself together. Sam was still sitting there with her mouth covered by her hand. She was in shock. Zoe was over the moon one day, thinking she was going to have a child against all odds, but then it was taken away from her a few days later. It wasn't fair. Not on someone as nice as Zoe. She didn't deserve this.

xxx

"Zoe?" Nick said. He had looked everywhere, and then at last he decided to check the on call room. He found her sat on a chair staring out the window with bloodshot eyes. "I heard what happened."  
"Im sorry. Im so sorry." She said, not even turning to look at him. "I knew how much you wanted a child."  
"Don't apologise. You did nothing wrong." Nick said, kneeling down infront of her.  
"I don't think I can do this." She shook her head.  
"Do what?"  
"This. Us. Not anymore."  
"Why?" Nick asked. He felt his heart break.  
"I can't give you what you want." She whispered.  
"Look at me." Nick said, and when she wouldn't look, he put his hands on her face and moved her head for her. "I love you. And I always will. The fact that you can't give me a child does not change that. I will always love you Zoe." He took his hands off her face, but she didn't turn back to face the window.  
"You do?" She asked.  
"Yes." He said.  
"I thought that you would think differently now that I can't give you what you want."  
"You give me everything Zoe. You gave me your trust, and your friendship, and your love." He said.  
"But I can't give you children!" Zoe said.  
"Maybe not." He said. "But there is nothing stopping us from adoption!"  
"Its not the same." She said.  
"But its the next best thing." He said. "I love you Zoe. I love you more than anything in the world. So what if you can't have children? It won't make me love you any less."  
"Then why did you get angry before? When I told you about the pills?" She wanted to know.  
"It wasn't the pills that made me angry Zoe." He said. "It was the fact you lied."  
"I wanted to make you happy." She said.  
"I know you did." He said. "But you being you makes me happy. I don't need children to make me happy when I have someone as wonderful as you."  
"You mean that?" She said, a slight smile appearing on her face.  
"Yes. Of course I do!" Nick said, and took her into a hug, and she sobbed into his blazer.  
"Im so sorry." She said.  
"Don't be." He said, and held her until she relaxed.


	24. Chapter 24

"Lets go and get a coffee, yeah?" Nick said, and helped Zoe stand up.  
"Coffee doesn't fix everything, you know." She said.  
"I know. But it gives you energy." Nick said, and Zoe followed him out to the cafe.

They ordered their drinks, and Zoe just couldn't believe how nice he was being to her. He was buying her coffee when it was normally the other way around, and he kept smiling at her. The smile said, in her eyes, that it would really be okay, and she believed him. She trusted him. She would trust him with her life.  
"Nice?" He asked, seeing her gulp her double expresso.  
"Yeah, thanks." She smiled. Her eyes were still blood shot, but Nick could see that the smile was genuine.  
"You feeling better?" He asked, loving it when she smiled.  
"Yeah, a lot." She said. "I don't think I could do this without you Nick." He grinned at her.  
"Well, Im always here." Nick said.  
"I know." Zoe said. "I mean, we work together, we live together. I don't think there is a single day where we don't see each other."  
"I know what you mean." Nick said. "But i'm not complaining."  
"Me either." Zoe said, and she leaned across the table to kiss him.  
"That was nice." Nick said, and rubbed his forehead.  
"Yeah it was." Zoe raised an eyebrow as she noticed his action. "Headache?"  
"Yeah." He said. "Ive been getting them a lot lately."  
"Oh." Zoe said. "Had any paracetamol?"  
"One this morning." He said. Zoe looked at her phone for the time.  
"You should be due another one then." Zoe said, and picked up her cup. She drank the last of her coffee and placed the paper cup in the bin. Nick followed her out, and put the rest of his coffee in the bin.

The doors crashed open, and Dixie and Jeff wheeled in a girl. She looked quite young, maybe sixteen years old.  
"What have we got?" Nick said, jumping into action to try and keep his mind off his headache.  
"This is Reanna Brown." Dixie said. "Felt ill in class and collapsed. A bit tachicardic."  
"Okay, thanks Dix." He said, as they wheeled her into resus. "Get her bloods done." He instructed Scarlett  
"Got it." she replied, and rushed to get the kit.  
"Pulse is good and strong." Nick said, and his headache suddenly felt a lot worse. He felt a bit dizzy.  
"You alright?" Charlie asked, who was helping out.  
"Yep. Fine." Nick said, but he felt a pang in his head. He felt his nose tickle, so he wiped it. He pulled his hand away, and it was bleeding.  
"Crap." Nick said, and grabbed some tissues.  
"Scarlett, can you get Zoe for me?" Charlie asked, and Scarlett nodded, white with shock. She left the room in a hurry, probably trying to get out of the way.  
"Im fine Charlie." Nick said.  
"I could see that when you were in pain back there." Charlie said. "Now a nose bleed? Your not fine."  
"Its nothing."  
"Im not sure that its nothing." Charlie said. "Go and get an appointment."  
"For what?"  
"A CT scan." Charlie said, and Nick knew that Charlie thought the worse.  
"Im sure im fine Charlie."  
"How do you know? It doesnt hurt to check." Charlie said, and Nick sighed.  
"I was given the all clear years ago." Nick said.  
"But it could be in remission." Charlie said, and Nick walked out before he could say anything else. Charlie turned his attention back to Reanna.

"Is there any medication you are taking that we should know of?" Charlie asked.  
"...No." Reanna said, nearly in tears. Charlie noted that she was hesitant.  
"Are you sure?" Charlie said. "If there is, we need to know."  
"No. Im not taking anything." She said, and Charlie went to chase up the bloods.

"She's pregnant." Charlie was told. He sighed.  
"She is? Okay." Charlie said, and went back to his patient.

"We got your bloods back." Charlie said as he opened the doors to resus.  
"You know, don't you?" Reanna asked, scared.  
"Yes." Charlie said, and Zoe came in to help out. She couldn't have timed her entry better.

Reanna was suddenly in pain and screamed out. Blood could be seen on the bed between her legs.  
"PV bleed." Charlie sighed, and went to call for help. Jay and Lenny came in. "PV bleed." Charlie repeated to Lenny and Jay so they knew what they were treating.  
"Okay can I get a line in please?" Zoe said, getting a response from Lenny who carried out the request.

They did their jobs and managed to stop the bleed, but Reanna fell unconcious. She awoke after they got more fluids in her.  
"The baby. Is it okay?" Reanna asked Zoe who was nearest the bed. Zoe could see Reanna was upset.  
"We did all we could. We couldn't save it." Zoe said sadly, as it brang up her own memories. Reanna burst into tears and Zoe took hold of her hand. "I know how it feels. It will get better I promise."  
"How on earth do you know how it feels?" Reanna said angrily. "I just basically lost my own child before I had even given birth!"

This upset Zoe. Tears welled up in her eyes. "How would you know how it feels." Reanna said, bringing her voice lower.  
"Because." Zoe said, as her eyes welled up too much to keep the tears back. "I can't have children." She began to walk in the direction of the doors, but stopped when Reanna spoke.  
"Im sorry." She whispered, but Zoe began to walk again, and walked out of the door.

"Zoe, whats up?" Nick said, and he pulled the tissue away from his nose.  
"Nothing, nothing. Im fine." Zoe said, and saw the tissue in his hands. "Nose bleed?"  
"Yeah." Nick sighed.  
"Go and get a CT done." Zoe said. She remembered all the touble she went through when Nick first found out about his cancer.  
"I will, don't worry." Nick said. He didn't want to scare her anymore. "So whats wrong?"  
"Oh. A girl in there lost her child." Zoe sniffed. "Reminded me of... you know."  
"Oh." Nick said.  
"But don't worry. Im trying not to let it get to me." Zoe said.  
"Thats my girl." Nick said, and took her into a hug, before looking at his watch. "I got to go. Scan."  
"That was fast." Zoe said.  
"Its amazing what you get when you are Clinical lead." He said, popping his collar before walking away which made Zoe laugh. She really loved that man.

Later in the day, Zoe had to go and help Sam with her arms.  
"Grip this hand as hard as you can." Zoe said, and Sam gripped Zoes hand with her left. It was still strong. "And this one." Zoe said, and Sam tried with her right. It still wouldn't fully close around Zoes fingers. "And together." Sam tried both at the same time.  
"Its getting better." Sam said. "I can curl my fingers round more than before."  
"Yep." Zoe said, taking note. "It will take a while to get it stonger though."  
"I know." Sam sighed.  
"You are improving." Zoe said. "So I can pretty much garuantee you will get full use of it."  
"Thanks." Sam said, and Zoe wrote down her observations. "Hey Linda!" She shouted.

"What?" Linda said, looking up.  
"Im getting better..." Sam said.  
"Cool! Can you grip better now?"  
"Yep." Sam said, and showed her, but winced when she tried too hard.  
"Wow." Linda said and winked, putting up her left hand and making a gesture of writing. Sam instantly put her finger to her lips and shhed her.  
"Whats going on?" Zoe asked, looking over the top of her glasses.  
"Nothing!" Sam said. "Nothing, its fine."  
"Okay... if you say so..." Zoe said, before putting down the notes and walking out of the room.

"Linda!" Sam said.  
"What?" She said sarcastically, trying to look innocent.  
"Please don't!" Sam pleaded. "You will make me write when I don't want to."  
"Slaaaacker." Linda smirked, and Lenny walked in.  
"Im not a slacker..." Sam smiled.  
"Then you are lazy." Linda laughed.  
"Might be." Sam replied, and layed down.  
"Hey Andrews." Lenny said, before sitting next to Linda.  
"Hey Lyons." Linda smiled and reached up to kiss him.  
"Guys please." Sam said, turning away.  
"Sorry." Linda laughed again.  
"I have good news." Lenny said.  
"What?" Linda asked.  
"You are being discharged this afternoon!" He smiled.  
"Yay! I can get back to work!" Linda said.  
"I thought you would want to rest for a little while." Lenny said.  
"What do you think Ive been doing here?" Linda asked.  
"I guess you can work if you want." Lenny shrugged. "Its not up to me."  
"It will take my mind off what happened Lenny." Linda said. "I want to work."  
"Okay." Lenny said. "But you need to face it at some point. Face your problems head on, and fight them off quick and proper."  
"But I don't want to. If I don't face them, they won't bother me." Linda told herself.  
"Linda." Lenny said. "I will help you."  
"I know." She said grimly. "Im just not ready to face them just yet."  
"Okay." He said. "I will be here when you are ready."  
"Thanks." She said, and hugged him.

"Are you done?" Sam asked, slowly turning her head round to face them.  
"Yes." Lenny said, and watched her face them. He quickly kissed Linda, and Sam turned her head away extremely fast.  
"Lenny!"  
"What?" He asked, laughing silently with Linda.  
"Oh you know what." She said, glaring at them, which made them laugh harder.  
"Oh I love you Lyons." Linda said, wiping her eyes of tears of laughter.  
"I love you too Andrews." He said, still laughing.


	25. Chapter 25

Zoe was dreading going back to treat Reanna. It wasn't Reanna that she didn't want to see. It was the memories. So she walked in to the room wearily, and Reanna looked up at her and smiled. Zoe was going to be polite, and she smiled back.  
"How are you feeling this morning?" Zoe asked, looking at the patient notes.  
"Fine, thanks." Reanna said. "Listen. I want to apologise about yesterday. I didn't know, i'm sorry."  
"Its fine." Zoe smiled at her. "It just kind of upset me more than it should."  
"Sorry."  
"Basically, I took fertility treatment, and the other day I found out that I was carrying a child, but then I miscarried."  
"Oh, that must of been hard." Reanna said, looking guilty.  
"It was, but I have to get on with life, you know? I have a great man, and he doesn't mind." Zoe said.  
"Thats great." Reanna said, and Zoe put her patient notes down. "I am really sorry about what I said."  
"Don't worry. Its fine." Zoe said, and left the room. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Wow. So talking about your problems really did make you feel better.

She went into the staff room for her break, and waited eagerly for Nick to return from his scan. She was worried. She didn't want him having a relapse. She made herself a coffee, and sat at the sofa and got out a magazine. She sat trying to read it, but ended up reading the same line over and over again. She gave up, putting her magazine down and picked up her coffee. She sipped it as she stared into space, and then the door opened. It was only Lenny.  
"Hey Zo." Lenny said, as he opened his locker.  
"Hi." She replied, still in her own thoughts.  
"Whats wrong?" He asked, watching her.  
"Nothing. Nothings wrong." She said, taking her eyes off the door to look at him and smile.  
"Good." Lenny said. Zoe sighed and stared at the door again. Lenny noticed. "Waiting for someone?"  
"Yeah." She said. "Nick."  
"Oh okay." Lenny said."Is there anything wrong? You look...on edge."  
"His cancer. It might be in remission." She said, not taking her eyes of the door.  
"Oh." He said. He didn't know what to say. Just then, Nick burst through the door, grinning like the cheshire cat.  
"All clear." He said, and Zoe sighed with relief. Nick picked her up off the sofa, spilling her coffee all down her skirt.  
"Nick!" Zoe squeeled, and ran to the sink to get a cloth.  
"Sorry!" He said, looking guilty. He knew how much she loved her clothes. "I will buy you a new one."  
"Okay." Zoe said happily, and stopped frantically scrubbing her skirt. Nick rolled his eyes.  
"The stain will come out of that." Nick said. "The skirt is brown, and so is coffee."  
"I know, but im not complaining with a new skirt." She said, and hugged him again, happy for him. Nick hugged her back, and Lenny snuck out the door to give them some privacy.

He found Linda sitting up in her bed with crossed legs, and she looked to be panicking.  
"Lenny." She said, as he walked in.  
"Whats up?" He asked.  
"Social services." Linda said. "They want to know if I would take in Britney and Joe, my sisters kids."  
"Oh." Lenny said.  
"Its either I take them in, or they get split up in care!" Linda said, with shaking hands. "I don't think I could cope Lenny."  
"Then don't take them in! Im sure someone will come and take them both in." Lenny rubbed her knee.  
"But someone might not after seeing Britney's behaviour.." Linda said and picked up the childrens records. "She keeps getting excluded from school, shouted at, bad grades... Joe is the opposite. He will get adopted no problem."  
"I see." Lenny said. "Remember, what ever your choice, I will be here."  
"Thanks." she said, and she hugged him. They stayed in their embrace for several minutes, enjoying the warmth from each other.

Thoughts were going around and around in Linda's head. What on earth was she going to do? She wanted to take in the kids to keep them together, but she had her own life to think about too. She was still young, and could have her own children. Britneys report shows that she is a trouble maker, and Linda didn't think she would be able to cope with that. Joe would probably be fine. He never gets into trouble at school.

"Do you think I will be allowed to take them in to try, and if I can't cope, then..."  
"I guess so." Lenny shrugged. "I will help."  
"Thanks." She said, and they pulled apart. "I just don't know if I will be able to look after them well. I mean, they are my sisters kids. Look at what she did to me."  
"Im sure they won't be that bad." Lenny said, smiling.  
"I don't know..." Linda said, not so sure. "Its Britney that I am worried about."  
"When are you meeting them?" Lenny asked.  
"Tomorrow." Linda sighed.  
"So soon?" Lenny said.  
"Yep." Linda said.  
"Do you want me to go with you?" Lenny asked.  
"Please?" She replied.  
"Okay. I will come." He smiled, and took hold of her hand.

"How did the scan go?" Charlie asked Nick when no one else was around.  
"It went fine." Nick smiled. "All clear."  
"Thats great." Charlie said and patted him on the back.  
"Thanks for making me go." Nick said. "I wouldn't have gone and would have worried for God knows how long."  
"Its fine. I learnt to go to appointments after I kept putting mine off. It doesn't end very well." Charlie said, remembering when he had a heart attack.  
"I know." Nick said. "Its just nerve wracking."  
"I know it is. But if its needed, you have to go." Charlie said, before getting back to work.

The next day soon arrived, and Linda was being discharged.  
"Ready to go home?" Zoe asked.  
"Yeah." Linda said. "But I can't. Im meeting social services here in an hour."  
"Why?"  
"They want me to take in my sisters kids." Linda said. She was visibly nervous.  
"Oh." Zoe said. "Do you want to take them in?"  
"I don't know." Linda said. "Britney, the eldest, has been in a lot of trouble... but Joe's records are fine."  
"I see." Zoe said. "Are you going to give it a try?"  
"I might aswell. What harm can it do?"  
"Thats a great atittude." Zoe smiled. "I hope it all goes well."  
"Thanks." Linda said, and Lenny walked in with the discharge forms.  
"Okay, can you sign there, and there." Zoe pointed.  
"I know. I am a nurse." Linda smiled, and carried on.  
"True." Zoe said, and they were soon finished. "You are officially not a patient here anymore."  
"Yay." Linda said, hopping off the bed, but she still had a headache.  
"Slowly. Just because you aren't a patient doesn't mean you are one hundred percent cured. You still have a fractured skull."  
"I know." Linda said, and she swayed a little bit. She had been laying down for a while.  
"I know what I am going to do for the next hour." Lenny said, and took hold of Linda's hand.  
"What?" Linda asked.  
"Buy you a coffee." He said, and they left to go to the cafe.  
"Buy me one!" Zoe shouted as they left the room. She sighed as she didn't think they heard her.  
"They had better bring me one too." Sam said. "I think im going through caffiene withdrawal." Zoe laughed at her. "Im serious."  
"I know. You haven't had a coffee for days!" Zoe said.  
"Tell me about it." Sam said. "I have no energy what so ever anymore."  
"Well, you will be able to get one yourself tomorrow because im discharging you then."  
"You are?" Sams face beamed.  
"Yeah." Zoe smiled.  
"Thank you so much. I need coffee."  
"I know." Zoe laughed, and sat and talked to Sam.

Lenny and Linda were enjoying a coffee each, at a table for two in the hospitals cafe.  
"How long until social services get here?" Linda asked, hands shaking around her cup.  
"About forty minutes." Lenny told her, and saw her shake. "Relax, Linda. It will be fine. Trust me."  
"I know." Linda said. "Im just nervous."  
"I know." Lenny said. "I will be there, and I will help you. Just please relax a bit."  
"Im trying." Linda said, and took another shakey sip of her coffee.

They soon finished their coffee, and stood up to leave.  
"One sec." Lenny said, and got back in line. Linda was confused. "Im getting Sam and Zoe one."  
"Oh okay." Linda said, remembering Zoe shout as they left.  
"Two double expresso's please." Lenny asked, and gave the money. He picked up sachets of sugar and little cups of milk, and picked up the coffees once they were done and took them to resus where he found Zoe and Sam talking. He lifted up the coffee's and winked.

"Oh you're a life saver!" Sam said, relieved, knowing she could have caffiene.  
"Thank you." Zoe said, reaching into her pocket to pay him back.  
"No no. They were on me." Lenny smiled.  
"You sure?" Zoe said.  
"Yeah." He replied.  
"Thank you." Zoe said, and sipped it. "My favourite! How did you know?"  
"You are always buying them Zoe." Lenny said. "I didn't know about you Sam so I bought the same. Hope its okay."  
"Coffee is coffee. It doesn't matter what type." Sam laughed. She took a sip and sighed with relief. "Thats better."  
"Great." Lenny smiled.  
"Well we had better go and get ready to meet the kids." Linda said, looking at the time.  
"We still have twenty minutes." Lenny said.  
"I know, but I want to get changed." Linda said.  
"Okay." Lenny said.  
"See you." Linda said to Sam and Zoe.  
"Bye. Have fun." Sam said.  
"Yeah have a good time." Zoe said.  
"Ill try." Linda said, and Lenny waved at them before they left the room.


	26. Chapter 26

Linda got changed, at they were waiting in the relatives room for the social services. They were already late, and Linda was so nervous that she looked about ready to bounce off the walls.  
"Linda, calm down." Lenny said putting his arm around. He could see how worried she was.  
"They are late." She said with her hands between her knees. She was tapping her heels on the floor, and it was beginning to do Lenny's head in.  
"Do you want a coffee? I can go and get you one." He offered, but Linda shook her head.  
"If you leave, they will walk through that door." Linda looked to the door. She wished they would walk in now so she could get it over with.  
"Im sure they won't be too long." Lenny said. "How about I get Zoe to bring us some coffee's?"  
"If you want to." Linda said, and Lenny removed his hand from her back. Linda shivered as his warmth had gone.

"Zoe, can you please bring us a coffee each?" Lenny asked, as he found her right outside the door talking to Noel.  
"Why?" She smiled.  
"Linda's just about ready to have a panic attack." He raised his eyebrows.  
"Oh, right." Zoe said, and she rushed off but came to a sudden stop. "What do you have?"  
"Just get two lattes. One with sugar, both with milk. I will pay you back later!" He said, and she went out of sight. He walked back into the relatives room.  
"Ordered." Lenny said, and took his seat next to Linda again. "You alright? You're pale."  
"Well, i don't feel the best because of my head and im so scared." She said. "What if they don't like me?"  
"Then bad luck for them." Lenny said. "They will be put into care."  
"Okay." Linda said, as Zoe returned with the coffees. "Thank you."  
"Its fine." Zoe said, and went to Lennys side. "I see what you mean." She whispered.  
"What?" Linda asked.  
"Nothing." Zoe said. "Enjoy your coffee."  
"Thanks." Linda said, and took a sip after placing the cup in both her hands. She craved the warmth it gave off. Lenny saw and he put his hand to her forehead.  
"You are quite warm..." He said, and Linda shivered when his hand contacted her head. "I think you have a fever."  
"Im fine. Just the quicker this is over, the better." Linda said, taking another sip of her coffee.  
"I agree." Lenny said, looking at her with concern. "Tell me if you don't feel good."  
"I will, don't worry. Im sick of feeling like crap." She said, and jumped as the door swung open.

"Linda Andrews?" The woman said. "Im Mrs Blackwell, you can call me Julie."  
"Hey Julie." Linda said, and shook her hand. "This is Lenny."  
"Hello." She said, and shook his hand. "I have Britney and Joe Andrews here." She said, and ushered them in. Joe was blushing shyly, but Britney waltzed in chewing gum.  
"Hey." Linda waved at them both.  
"Hello." Joe said quietly.  
"Hey." Britney said, not making eye contact. Linda stood up straight and looked towards Lenny whilst biting her lip and raising an eyebrow.  
"I will leave you to it." Julie said. "I will be back in around twenty minutes."  
"Okay, thankyou." Linda said. "You can sit down if you want." She motioned for the two kids to sit down. Joe sat opposite Linda and Britney sat next to him.  
"So..." Linda said. "Im Linda. This is Lenny." He waved at them and Joe smiled at him. Britney didn't even look. An awkward silence filled the room.  
"What sort of things do you like to do?" Lenny asked, breaking the silence. "Do you like sports?" He asked them.  
"I like football." Joe said.  
"Yes." Lenny said. "Me too. What about you Britney?"  
"No." She snapped, and Linda sighed.  
"What do you like?" Linda asked her. She just shrugged. "What do you like to do at weekends? Go out with your friends?"  
"Its none of your business." Britney said, and Linda rolled her eyes to look at Lenny.  
"Britney..." Joe said. He didn't like his sister talking to Linda like that.  
"What?" Britney said, and Joe turned away from her.

"What school do you both go to?" Linda asked, and got a reply from Joe.  
"Um, the one round the corner." he said. "I can't remember the name."  
"Oh right." Linda smiled at him, and she gained a smile back. Britney was still being ignorant.

Linda noticed her nails. They had rainbows on them, and Linda loved them.  
"Wow, I love your nails!" Linda said. "Can I see them?" Britney just stuck her hand out, and Linda took hold of it to look closer. "Do you do these yourself?"  
"Yeah." Britney said with a glum face.  
"They are very good." Linda smiled at her, as they made eye contact.  
"Thanks." She said. Linda felt like she was making progress.  
"So, Joe. Whats school like?" Linda asked.  
"Good." He said.  
"What subjects do you like?" She asked.  
"Pe." He said, and Lenny smiled.  
"Pe was always my favourite." Lenny smiled. "What about you Britney?"  
"Art." She replied, after blowing a bubble with her gum.  
"I liked art." Linda smiled, but she put on the smile. She was beginning to feel worse. She exhaled hard, and Lenny turned to look at her. Linda grimaced at him, and he knew she was feeling worse.  
"Art is cool." Joe said, feeling a little bit more confident. "I like getting it all over my hands."  
"I always liked that part." Linda said, and rubbed her head discretely. "One time, I forgot about it and put my hand on my teachers t-shirt... It was a white shirt." Joe laughed.  
"My friend spilt paint all over the floor yesterday." Joe smiled. "It was funny."  
"I bet your teacher wasn't impressed." Lenny laughed.  
"No. My friend got into trouble." Joe smiled.  
"I bet he did." Lenny said, and looked towards Linda who was very pale.

Time wore on and Linda began to look worse and worse for the wear. Lenny looked at his watch and then Julie walked back in.  
"Had a good time?" She asked Joe who walked up to her.  
"Yeah." He said. "They are very nice."  
"Aww." Linda said, putting on her smile again. She was genuinely happy he thought that, but her headache was overpowering her at the minute.  
"What about you?" Julie asked Britney.  
"Yeah." She said, not smiling, but texting.  
"Sorry about her." Julie said when Britney had left the room. "She doesn't like meeting new people."  
"I could tell." Linda said, looking awkward.  
"Don't worry. When you get to know her, she will open up a bit more to you." Julie reassured.  
"I hope so." Linda sighed.  
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you okay?" Jule asked. "You look a bit pale."  
"Sorry. Im fine." Linda smiled. "I have a bit of a headache, thats all."  
"Okay. I hope you feel better." Julie said, and Lenny put his arm around Linda. "It looks good. Joe seems happy, Britney seems her usual self. I think it looks good."  
"Cool." Linda said.  
"So its really just down to your choice." Julie smiled. "I will give you a while to think about it."  
"Thank you." She replied.  
"Feel better." Julie said. "See you."  
"Bye." Linda said, and as they walked away, Joe turned his head and smiled. Linda waved to him.

"Well, that went well." Lenny said.  
"I think Joe likes me. Its just Britney.." Linda said, sat down, leaning her head against the wall.  
"Lay down if you want." Lenny said, and she did. She felt really bad. Her head was pounding and it gave her nausea. "I'll get you some water."  
"Thank you." He said, and left her. She was tired, so she shut her eyes. She fell fast asleep on the sofa.

Lenny walked back in a minute later and found her asleep. He knew she had a headache and wanted to give her the water, but a nap wouldn't hurt. He watched her sleep, and after a few hours, he decided to wake her otherwise she wouldn't want to sleep tonight.  
"Linda, Linda." He said as he shook her gently. He didn't want to aggravate her headache.  
"Hmm." She said, as she started to come round.  
"Wake up." Lenny said, as he held the glass of water. She opened her eyes, yawned, and then sat up as Lenny helped her. "Here."  
"I fell asleep?" She asked, taking the water.  
"Yeah. You have been out for around three hours." He said.  
"Three hours?" She gasped. "Why didn't you wake me?"  
"Because I thought the rest would do you good." Lenny said, watching her sip the water.  
"It did. My headache isn't as bad." Linda said.  
"Good." Lenny said, and sat beside her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. He layed back and put his arm around her back. She sighed in contentment.  
"I love you Lyons." She said, looking up and smiling.  
"I love you too Andrews." He smiled. "Is that like our thing now?"  
"I think so." Linda laughed, and then groaned. Her head pounded whenever she laughed. Lenny put his fingers on her temple and rubbed it for her.  
"Oh thats better." Linda sighed, shutting her eyes.  
"Good?"  
"Great." She said.  
"Do you want to go and see Sam soon?" Lenny asked. "She has been in that room all day."  
"Yeah, suppose we had." Linda said. "Isn't she getting discharged soon?"  
"Probably. I would say tomorrow." Lenny replied, and Lenny helped her up. They walked into Resus together, arm in arm.

"Oh my god." Lenny beamed.  
"What?" She asked, as they neared Resus.  
"Guess what day it is tomorrow."  
"Saturday?" Linda laughed.  
"No. The date." Lenny said.  
"Um... I can't remember." Linda said, trying her hardest to remember.  
"Its valentines day!" Lenny said.  
"Oh so it is!" Linda beamed.  
"Want to do anything special?" Lenny asked.  
"Yeah." Linda smiled. "I haven't had a proper relationship before, so I think it will be nice."  
"Cool." Lenny said. "Let me organise it. It will be a surprise." He said, before they walked into Sams room.

"Hey Sam." Lenny said. "And Zoe."  
"Hi." They replied at the same time.  
"How are we all in here?" Linda asked.  
"Im great." Zoe said, and she saw Linda was a lot happier than she was earlier.  
"Me too." Sam said. "Im being discharged tomorrow!"  
"I knew it." Lenny said to Linda, and Linda hugged him.  
"Guess what day it is tomorrow." Zoe smirked at Lenny and Linda.  
"We know." Linda said. "Got anything planned?"  
"Nick is taking me out to dinner." Zoe smiled. "What about you two?"  
"Im surprising her." He said, and turned to Linda. "Make sure you keep your whole day free of plans."  
"I will." Linda said.  
"Oooooooh." Zoe said, and Sam laughed.  
"Have fun." Sam said.  
"Im sure they will." Zoe raised eyebrows. Linda sighed and laughed at her.  
"What about you?" Linda asked Sam.  
"Nothing planned." Sam said.  
"Maybe you will get some valentines cards!" Zoe said. "I bet you will get loads."  
"Thanks." Sam laughed. "But no. I doubt it."  
"I bet you will get a few guy's numbers." Linda smirked. "I mean, look at you!"  
"Thank you." Sam laughed harder. "Oh I have such great friends."  
"Yeah you do." Zoe said, and Linda laughed. Lenny smiled.  
"I can't wait for tomorrow." Lenny said.  
"Me either. I can't wait to see what you have planned.  
"It will be special."  
"I know." Linda said, and squeezed him.  
"Well, Id better be getting you home." Lenny said to her.  
"Have fun tomorrow." Sam said.  
"Yeah. Have fun." Zoe grinned.  
"Thanks." Linda smiled and waved as they left.

"I can't wait until tomorrow." Linda squealed, then groaned. "I keep forgetting about my stupid head."  
"Try not to." Lenny said. "I want you to feel great tomorrow." Linda smiled at him, and they left the ED in great moods.


	27. Chapter 27

Linda found it extremelyhard to sleep that night as she was looking forward to her day tomorrow. She loved Lenny with all her heart, and she couldn't wait until he picked her up at one the next morning.

After trying to sleep for a few hours, she finally managed at around one in the morning. She dreamt about the next day, and she couldn't stop smiling when she woke in the morning.

The first thing she did was turn on her mobile. She recieved a text from Lenny which he had sent an hour ago.

Morning x

It read, and she text him back.

Morning. Just woke up. 3

She put her phone down and decided to have a quick shower before breakfast. Standing up, she realised that her headache had gone down dramatically, probably from her good nights sleep. She got out the shower and her phone beeped.

Love you. Cant wait til later. xx

She wrote back:

Me either x :D

She got her breakfast, but could only have toast as she didn't have enough milk for cereal. She made herself a coffee using up the last of the milk, and turned on the television. She flicked through the channels and found that nothing was on that interested her. She looked at the clock, hoping it would jump two hours which was when Lenny was due to arrive.

Sighing, seeing it was only eleven, she got up and turned on her laptop. She went to facebook and went all down her news feed, liking a few photo's, and then logged off. She was bored, and excited. She decided to get ready now, as she knew it would take her a while and it would give her something to do.

After going through her whole wardrobe which took her half an hour, she found a lilac dress and dark purple heels, and thought they would be good for tonight. She put them on the bed, and then sighed as she saw how much stuff she wouldhave to put away. She looked at the time and wished she had done that earlier.

She put everything neatly away and had an hour until Lenny arrived. She brushed her hair and turned on her straightners. She picked them up after two minutes and quickly put her finger on them to see if they were hot. She then straightened her hair, and she had thirty five minutes to go.

Getting her make up done and getting dressed, she looked in the mirror and then at the clock on her bedside table, and she had got ten minutes to spare. She went to brush her teeth, and then gathered some extra clothes just in case she needed them.

The doorbell rang just as she was putting everything in her bag. She opened the door to see Lenny standing there, and his jaw dropped as he saw her.  
"What? Is there something wrong...?" She asked.  
"No. No." He said, regaining his composure. "You look absolutely gorgeous!"  
"Thank you!" Linda said, and Lenny leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "So whats the plan for today?"  
"Im taking you to see a movie." Lenny said. "The rest is a surprise."  
"Oooh, what movie?" Linda asked.  
"I don't know. I know you aren't into all that romance and soppy stuff." Lenny said. "So I was thinking...  
"The hunger games?" Linda and Lenny said at the same time.  
"Yes." Linda said.  
"Have you read the books?" Lenny asked. "They are very good."  
"Yeah I have!" Linda said. "Ive been dying to watch the film!"  
"Good! Then lets go!" Lenny said, and they left the house and made their way to the cinema.

Meanwhile, at the ED, Sam was just about to be discharged.  
"Any valentines yet?" Zoe asked her.  
"Not yet." Sam sighed.  
"Im about to change that!" Zoe said, and gave her a card addressed to her.  
"Oh Zoe you shouldn't have!" Sam said sarcastically.  
"Its not from me, silly!" Zoe said. "Open it!"  
"I will!" Sam laughed.

Roses are red, violets are blue.  
You're so beautiful, and I love you.

From ?

Sam read it out loud.  
"Aww." Zoe said, smiling. "Thats so cute! I wonder who its from?"

They looked around, at Noel, Jay, Yuki, Charlie, and then a Tom who was watching them. He blushed, and walked into the relatives room.  
"Tom?" Zoe said. "So Tom likes you! Do you like him back?"  
"Maybe." Sam said, also blushing. "I don't know though. I don't think i'm over Dylan yet..."  
"Ask Tom out and then find out!" Zoe urged, patting Sams arm. She pushed her off.  
"Fine." Sam said. "But just to see how it goes."  
"Yay." Zoe said. She loved match making.

"Um, Sam, can I speak to you a minute? In private?"  
"Sure." Sam said, and he pulled her into an empty staff room. "What?"  
"I thought you should be first to know."  
"First to know what?" All she wanted to do was get out of there.  
"Im leaving. Ive been offered a job in Scotland."  
"Oh." Sam said, sad. She wasn't going to show that she still had feelings for him.  
"Yeah. Thats it." He said, and turned to leave.  
"Have you told anyone else?"  
"No. Don't plan on doing so either." He said.  
"Oh." Sam said, and watched him leave. "Wait, Dylan?"  
"What?"  
"When do you go?"  
"Tomorrow morning, three am." He said, and Sams face dropped. Dylan ignored this, and left her on her own.

So Dylan was leaving Sam, good and proper this time? Sam leaned against the lockers and ran her hands through her hair, thinking about him. She felt her eyes sting with tears. Why would he tell her last minute like that? She shouldn't even like him for making her self harm the other day.

A tear fell down her face, and she quickly turned around as the door opened. It was Zoe. She wiped her eyes hoping to rid the evidence of her tears, but Zoe knew something was wrong as soon as she turned around.  
"Whats wrong?" Zoe asked, which made Sam cry even more.  
"Dylan." Sam said.  
"What about him?" She asked, pulling Sam into a hug.  
"He's leaving." She whispered into Zoe's ear.  
"Oh Sam." Zoe said, and rubbed soothing circles on Sams back while she cried.  
"I don't even know why I still like him." Sam said. "He made me do what I did the other day."  
"Its hard to move on from something you loved to much." Zoe said, remembering her past relationships.  
"I know, but I didn't know it would be this hard."  
"There are plenty more fish in the sea." Zoe said. "What about Tom?"  
"I wanted that fish Zoe." Sam said. "Not another one."  
"People move on, and you have to move on from Dylan."  
"I guess so." Sam said, pulling away and wiping her eyes.  
"Go and talk to Tom." Zoe said. "Get your mind of this. It will be great."  
"Okay." Sam said, and she walked out the door after recieving a reassuring look from Zoe.

The movie had just finished, and it was now four o'clock. Linda and Lenny were standing outside the cinema waiting for a taxi.  
"Where are we going?" Linda asked, looking up at him.  
"To dinner." Lenny said.  
"Its only four." Linda said, confused.  
"I bet you are hungry though, right?" He said.  
"Yeah, I am." Linda nodded, and they got into a taxi that pulled up.

They arrived at the restaurant that Lenny took her to on their first date together. Linda remembered that she got food poisoning.  
"Lenny, I got food poisoning from that place." Linda said.  
"I know." He nodded. "Thats why im not letting you order what you had last time."  
"Okay..." Linda said, weary of the place.

"Since it is an italian restaurant, I was thinking we could order a huge pizza between us." Lenny said.  
"You can never beat a bit of pizza." Linda winked, and they sat down at their table. The waitor gave them their menus, and they already knew what they wanted.

The pizza was delicious, and Linda forgave the restaurant for the last lot of food she ate there. They finished eating and talking, and Lenny payed the waitor.  
"Thanks so much for tonight." Linda said.  
"Its not over yet." He smiled, as he called for a taxi. He asked the driver to take them to premier inn.  
"We are staying at a hotel tonight?" Linda asked.  
"Yeah. My treat." He smiled, and Linda reached over to kiss him. They hugged in the back seat of the taxi, and they were soon there.

They went in, and Lenny went to the main desk, having already made a reservation.  
"You really went to a lot of trouble, huh?" Linda smiled.  
"It wasn't any trouble." Lenny said, and took hold over her hand as he had to sign a piece of paper. He was handed the key, and they made their way to the elevator.

They found their room on the top floor, and let themselves inside. The room was spacious with a balcony, and when they flicked on the lights, Linda gasped. The double bed in the center of the bedroom was huge. She remembered the size of Lenny's bed at his house.  
"Wow." Linda said.  
"Its nice, isn't it?" Lenny said.  
"Yeah!" Linda said, and she kicked off her heels. She ran onto the bed and jumped on it. Lenny laughed at her.  
"Come here." He said, after watching her.  
"What?" She asked, and he pulled out a jewellery box from his pocket. He opened it, and pulled out an anklet with flowers on it. "Oh my god."  
"For you." He said, smiling as he saw Linda tear up.  
"Lenny its beautiful!" She said, as a tear fell down her face. "Thank you." She threw her arms around him.  
"Im glad you like it." He said, holding her close.  
"I have something for you too." Linda said, and reached into her bag. She pulled out some tickets.  
"Woah. Go karting tickets?" Lenny said, and counted them. There were six.  
"Yep. One for you, Nick, Noel, Big Mac, Tom and Yuki." Linda said.  
"You're the best." He said, putting them down and pulling her into a passionate kiss.

They felt a connection there, and it felt like a fire burning inside them. They needed to pull away from each other to breath, but they didn't want to. They were enjoying the kiss a lot.

The fire inside burned deeper and deeper, until Lenny pulled away. He grabbed Linda's hand a looked at the bed. Linda giggled, and he led her to it.

...

"Tom?" Sam said, as she walked through the ED after her shift had finished.  
"Yeah?" He said, turning around.  
"Can I talk to you?"  
"Sure." He said, and Sam took hold of his hand, and pulled him into an empty room.  
"Was it you that sent me the card?" She asked.  
"Might have been." He said, looking awkward, and played with his finger nails.  
"Would you... like to go out tonight?" Sam asked. "For a drink?"  
"Um, sure." Tom said.  
"Shall we go now?" She asked.  
"Yeah." He said.  
"Let me just get my coat out my locker." She said, and he followed her in.

She opened her locker, and a card fell down. She got her coat, picked up the card and shut her locker. She opened the letter, which was bulky, and pulled out the card. Someone had put something in it.

She opened the card, and a chess piece fell out. The card read:

Im sorry.

Sam's eyes filled with tears, and she clung onto the chess piece. The tears ran down her face, and she sobbed.  
"Sam?" Tom said, and she dropped the card. He picked it up, and recognised Dylans scruffy writing. He read the message.  
"He left." Sam said. "He got a new job in Scotland."  
"Oh." Tom said, and Sam opened her hand, dropping the chess piece to the floor. She wiped her eyes, trying to get rid of the memories of him.  
"So, for that drink?" She said, trying to be strong.  
"Are you sure you want to?" Tom asked.  
"Yeah." Sam said, and took hold of his hand. "Lets go."


	28. Chapter 28

On the way out of the staff room, they came across Zoe. Zoe saw Sam and Tom holding hands, and she squeeled in delight.  
"You asked him!" Zoe said, and Tom looked embarrassed.  
"Yes Zoe. She asked me." He said, smiling.  
"Yay!" Zoe said and hugged Sam.  
"You look nice. Going somewhere?" Sam asked, looking at Zoe's dark purple dress.  
"Thanks." Zoe said. "And yes, going for a drink."  
"Cool. So are we." Tom said. "Might see you there."  
"Where are you going?" Zoe asked.  
"Where we all usually go for a drink. Round the corner." Sam said.  
"Oh right, we might see you then." Zoe said, looking at Tom. "Have fun." She winked at them.  
"Im sure we will." Tom said, and then they left the ED.  
"I hope you don't mind that i'm not wearing anything fancy..." Sam said.  
"Its fine. Im not either." Tom said, looking down at his clothes.  
"Okay." Sam said, and they walked down to the pub.

Sam offered to buy the first drinks, and they sat at the bar.  
"So, how did you know the card was from me?" Tom asked, and he could guess but he wanted to hear it.  
"Oh, Zoe told me to look around to see who wrote it, and everyone was oblivious to us apart from you." Sam said, remembering him blush and walk away.  
"I thought so." Tom laughed, and Sam took a gulp of her drink.  
"Well, what do you want to know about me?" Sam asked. "Anything?"  
"Sure." Tom said. "Anything."  
"Well, I was an army medic as you know." Sam said. "I love dogs and turtles, but hate cats. Im allergic to cats."  
"I didn't know that." Tom said.  
"What about you?" She asked him, as she picked up her drink and held it in her hands.  
"Well, I love movies and television. I love my music too."  
"Whats your favourite band?" Sam asked.  
"Coldplay." He replied, and she smiled at him. "You like Coldplay?"  
"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Yuki likes them too doesn't he? Never stops going on about them."  
"Yeah he does." Tom said. "What about you?"  
"I like Jem." Sam said. "Hasn't done any new songs for a while though, sadly. I like the Beatles, Wings, Queen, and a lot of the chart music too."  
"Yes. You have good taste in music!" Tom said.  
"I know." Sam laughed. She turned around to see if she saw anyone she recognised. She could see Nick and Zoe at a table in the corner, and she saw Nick holding her hands on the table. They had a pint each, and Sam couldn't help but smile at them.

"Another drink? This ones on me." Tom said, pulling out his wallet.  
"Yeah please." Sam said, and Tom got them shots. "Your a drinker?"  
"Well, when I drink, I drink quite a bit." Tom said.  
"Yes!" Sam said, happy that he liked to drink. "Thank god."  
"I take it you drink too?" Tom smiled.  
"Yeah." Sam said, grabbing a shot when the barman put them on the counter. Sam threw her head back and pulled a face. She laughed afterwards. "Go on then." She urged Tom.  
"Sure." He said, picking one up and doing the exact same.  
"Together?" She said, looking at the other two left.  
"Yeah." Tom said, smiling. They both picked one up and drank them at the same time.

Over at Nick and Zoe's table, they were sat sipping their drinks and talking about everything. Zoe turned her head towards the bar to see Tom and Sam throw back yet another shot.  
"They are going to be wasted..." She said, speaking her thoughts.  
"Yeah they are!" Nick agreed. "Isn't that like shot number...three already? Its only eight thirty..."  
"Yeah." Zoe said. "Better watch her tomorrow if you put her in Resus..."  
"Oh I will, don't worry." Nick laughed, and leaned in over the table to kiss her.

"So." Sam said to Tom as they had finished a huge number of shots. It was eleven o'clock, and she couldn't think straight because of all of the alcohol she had consumed. She never normally drank that much, but she was probably just drowing her sorrows in drinks. "I really like you Tom."  
"You do?" He said. He was surprisingly sober considering the amount of drinks he had had. He noticed Sam was a bit tipsy.  
"Yeah." She replied, but Tom didn't know if it was her or the alcohol talking. She leaned in closer to him, and they were nearly touching noses, she leaned in even further.  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, holding her back.  
"Yeah!" Sam said.  
"Im not so sure you are." Tom said, beginning to feel the effect of the alcohol.  
"I am Tom!" Sam said, and she quickly moved in and their lips connected. Tom was surprised, but he didn't want to pull away. Not now.  
"Sam.." Tom said, as she pulled back.  
"What?" She said with less focused eyes.  
"Im taking you home." Tom said, and he helped her off the bar stool.  
"Woah." Sam giggled as she swayed when standing.  
"Come on. The quicker I get you home the better." Tom said. He didn't want her to go but it was for the best.

He called for a taxi and they both got in. He told the taxi Sam's address, and they began towards her house.  
"I love you tom." She breathed, and Tom could smell her breath. Tom felt a little bit tipsy himself now, but he was determined to get her home safely.  
"I love you too." He said, and the cuddled up to him in the car. Tom didn't want to because he knew she was married to Dylan, and he didn't think she was over him yet. "Lets get you inside, yeah?" He said as they pulled up infront of her house.

He got her out and took her keys from her. He unlocked the door for her, having trouble with the key, and let her in.  
"I had a good time." Tom said.  
"So did I." she said.  
"I have to go." He said. He didn't want to keep the taxi man waiting.  
"Okay." Sam said, reaching up to kiss him. He kissed her, then stepped out of the door and headed back to the taxi.

The next morning, Linda woke up and realised where she was. She was in the luxurious hotel with her boyfriend, the one and only Lenny Lyons. She smiled as she remembered last night. She truely loved Lenny.  
"Hey." Lenny said, seeing her awake.  
"Hey." Linda smiled, and cuddled up to him. "I love you Lyons."  
"I love you too Andrews." He said, and kissed her.  
"We should probably get up." Linda said, looking at the clock. "Its eleven."  
"It is?" He said, and looked. "Oh. We had better, hadn't we?"  
"Yeah." Linda said, sighing. She didn't want to move away from his warm embrace. I enjoyed last night."  
"So did I." Lenny said. "That was probably the best day of my life."  
"And mine." Linda nodded. That was the one day she had probably gone without thinking about her rotten childhood.  
"Im glad you enjoyed it." Lenny said, as he picked up some clean clothes. "Im going to have a quick shower."  
"Okay." She said, kissing him before he left.

While he was showering, she checked her phone as she hadn't done all day yesterday. She had three messaged from Zoe.

Hey! How was your day?

Why didn't you reply? Hope your having fun...

Oh hurry up and reply already! Spill the beans!

Linda sighed and laughed. She didn't want to type for ages, so she put three words down.

Best Night Ever.

She knew Zoe would know what she meant, and she smiled to herself and got changed. She thought through all the events of yesterday in her head, and she laughed to herself and flopped onto the bed. She was so happy. She didn't know she could ever feel like that, ever. Not after what her family did to her.

Her phone beeped and she got off the comfy bed, and went to pick it up. It was a text from Zoe.

Does that mean what I think it means?... ;)

Linda laughed, knewing she would get a reply like that.

Yes Zoe... ;D  
How was your night?

She put her phone in her pocket and walked over to turn the TV on. She was amazed at how many channels there were here. Normally hotels only had the first few channels, but this hotel had hundreds. She put on MTV as they were playing music, and she went back and layed on her bed. She pulled out her phone and checked her facebook.

A text popped up from Zoe.

Was great.  
Saw Sam out with Tom though, she's gonna be so hungover...

Linda thought about Sam. Sam, drunk? Since when? Linda had never known her to over do it...

How bad? x

She waited impatiently for a reply. It came a few seconds later.

Many many shots...

Ahh. Linda was known to get too carried away on shots. Zoe would always be the one taking her home because she would have had one too many.

Oh... she has to work today doesn't she? Look after her...

Linda said to Zoe. Linda knew Zoe was going to work today with Nick. She put her phone down as Lenny came out of the bathroom rubbing his hair dry with a towel.  
"Hey." Linda said, as Lenny put the towel down.  
"Hey gorgeous." He said, plopping down next to her on the back. She leaned against him, and then her phone buzzed again.

I will, if she comes in...

Zoe said to Linda.  
"Who was that?"  
"Just Zoe.. told me Sam got extremely drunk last night and has to work later." Linda said, replying.

She will go in. When does she ever miss work?

She wrote.  
"Who did she drink with?" Lenny asked.  
"Tom."  
"Tom? Are they going out?" He asked.  
"Yeah I think so... well, im guessing." Linda said. "Ill ask Zoe when I see her."  
"Okay." Lenny smiled, and Linda looked up at his hair.  
"You're hair is messy." She said, reaching up to smooth it down. She smiled when it just popped back up. "It won't stay flat."  
"It never does." Lenny laughed. "I have to gell it."  
"Don't." Linda said. "It looks nice messy."  
"It does?" He said, standing up to look in the mirror. Linda was right. It didn't look half bad.  
"Yeah." She said. "I like it."  
"Me too." He said after looking at himself in the mirror.  
"Keep it like that."  
"I will." He said.

At the ED, it was two o'clock, and Sam, Zoe and Nicks shifts were supposed to start. Zoe and Nick had gotten there earlier, and there was no message left from Sam on the messaging service. She was still going in to work today after last night.

Toms shift started earlier, at eight, so he was glad he didn't drink as much as Sam. He watched her walk in. She looked dreadful. Bags under her eyes, constantly squinting at the lighting...  
"Sam." Tom walked up to her and whispered.  
"Hi." She tried to say, without giving away that she was struggling.  
"I take it you don't feel well after last night."  
"How bad was it?" She asked.  
"Well, you had many many shots, some more drinks, and kissed me like three times."  
"I did? Sorry. I can't remember." She shook her head and regretted it.  
"Zoe and Nick are watching you today as they saw you last night." Tom told her.  
"Ugh crap." She said, and rubbed her forehead. "Okay."  
"Here." He said, and handed her a glass of water and some paracetamol tablets.  
"Oh you lifesaver." She said, popping the pills in her mouth and swallowing the pills.  
"You're welcome." Tom smirked, and got back to work.


	29. Chapter 29

Linda sat on the bed as Lenny changed the channel on the TV.  
"What do you want to watch?" He asked, flicking through more channels. "Linda?"  
"Huh?" She said, with a blank face.  
"Whats up?" He asked.  
"Oh, nothing." She shook her head.  
"Tell me." He said. "I know somethings up. Its written all over your face."  
"My sisters funeral is next week." She said, with a lump forming in the back of her throat.  
"Oh." Lenny said, putting the remote down. "Are you going to go?"  
"I don't know." Linda said, holding her phone as her mum text her telling her the details.  
"When is it?" He asked.  
"A week tomorrow." Linda sighed, throwing her phone down. She really had no clue if she wanted to go or not.  
"I will go with you if you wanted to go, you know." Lenny offered. "I wouldn't make you go alone."  
"Thanks." Linda said. "I will think about it."  
"Don't feel like you have to go." Lenny said, putting his arm around her back. Linda leaned on his shoulder as she let the tears go.  
"I don't know what to do." She said, and wiped the tears away.  
"Don't worry about it, alright?" Lenny said, rubbing her back. "Im sure it will be fine."  
"I hope so." Linda said, sniffing. "Sorry." She said, sitting up and wiping her eyes.  
"Its fine. You don't need to apologise." He said, as she stood up off the bed.

On Monday, Lenny and Linda went into the ED together to start their early morning shift. It was seven thirty.  
"I need coffee." Linda said with blotchy eyes. She had been worrying about the funeral which was going to be on Sunday.  
"So do I." Lenny said, and they walked off to the cafe.

Sam arrived after Lenny and Linda had gone to get coffee, and she opened her locker to put in her coat and umbrella. She saw the chess piece there, and sighed. She missed Dylan's remarks around the hospital. She missed his ignorance, and his personality. She just missed him so much that it hurt.

Slamming her locker in frustration, she walked over to the sink and filled a glass with water.  
"No coffee?" She heard Tom come up behind her.  
"Don't need it." Sam said. "For once."  
"Really?"  
"Had a very good nights sleep. Twelve hours."  
"Impressive. I got seven." Tom smiled.  
"Is that all?"  
"Yeah." He said, as Sam put her glass down. "Look, i've been meaning to talk to you."  
"About?"  
"The other night." Tom said. "Did you mean what you said?"  
"Im sorry. I can't even remember what I said. Or did, for that matter. I can't remember getting home."  
"I got you a taxi." Tom said. "You tried to kiss me, twice."  
"I did?"  
"Yeah. I asked you if you were sure before you did to make sure you really wanted to, so I let you. I didn't not want to let you, because I didn't know how you would react."  
"Oh." Sam said. "Sorry."  
"Its fine." He said. "Are you sure that you want to be with me? I just hope you aren't moving too fast..."  
"Look." Sam said. "I have been thinking about it."  
"You have?"  
"Yeah." Sam said. "I hope you don't think badly of me... but I don't want to ruin the friendship we have already."  
"Okay." Tom said.  
"I think I should just get over Dylan first..." Sam said. "Im sorry."  
"Don't be. I understand." Tom said, and Sam walked up to hug him. He hugged her back, and they stayed in their embrace for several minutes, neither of them wanting to let go.

They had to pull apart after while as Zoe walked into the room.  
"Sorry." She said, as she saw them together.  
"Oh no its fine." Tom said, and he opened his locker to put his jacket in.  
"Are you feeling better?" Zoe asked her after remembering her state on saturday.  
"Fine now." Sam sighed, cringing at the memory. "That was the worst day ever. I got home and was sick. A lot." She emphasized the last two words.  
"Aww bless you." Zoe smiled. "Im always doing that, mind."  
"I know." Sam laughed. She changed the subject. "Is Linda working today?"  
"Yeah." Zoe nodded. "I need to talk to her, about 'things'." Zoe winked.  
"Oooooooh." Sam laughed as Zoe put her fingers up around the word 'things'. "Tell me when you know."  
"I will, don't worry!" Zoe said, walking out of the staff room.

"Linda!" Zoe said, as she went to get her morning coffee.  
"Zoe." Linda sighed, knowing she would want to talk about her valentines day.  
"Im happy to see you too!" Zoe said sarcastically, glad when Lenny went to get the drinks. "So. How was it?" Zoe asked, winking.  
"Zoe..."  
"How was it?"  
"Good." Linda blushed.  
"Is that all you can say?" Zoe asked. "Is Lenny good in bed?"  
"Well, I don't know. He is the first person i've been with. I guess he's good. I enjoyed it."  
"Thank you for some decent information." Zoe laughed. "So Lenny really is a lion. Grr."  
"Shut up Zoe." Linda laughed. "Shh. He's coming."  
"Okay." Zoe said, giving her the thumbs up. She whispered. "He's quite good looking too."

Linda sighed as Zoe left and Lenny walked over with their drinks.  
"What did Zoe want?" He asked.  
"Oh, just to see what my plan was for today." Linda said. "Shes in Resus, im in cubicles."  
"Oh right." Lenny said, handing her her coffee. They sat at a table as they had a few minutes to themselves.

Linda sat and played with her coffee while Lenny watched her.  
"Don't worry about Sunday..." He said. "It will be fine, whatever you choose."  
"I can't stop thinking about her." Linda said, staring into her cup, still stirring.  
"I know." Lenny rested his hand on hers.  
"What shall I do?" She asked, continuing to stir her coffee.  
"I, personally, would go." Lenny said. "You can finally let your mind rest if you go. You will know that you have said good bye to her."  
"But she gave me the worst life ever." Linda said, looking up from her coffee. Lenny could see that she was close to crying again.  
"I know, but that doesn't mean you have to live the rest of your life like that, does it?" Lenny said. "  
"I guess not." Linda sighed, and finally picked up her coffee, taking a sip. She relaxed as the hot liquid touched her tongue.  
"Remember, I will always come with you." Lenny said. "Do you want to go?"  
"I think I will." Linda said, and Lenny nodded. "You do realise I will be a wreck, right?" Lenny just smiled at her.  
"Im there for you." Lenny said and kissed her over the table.

Lenny jumped when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.  
"You got to get to work now." Zoe smiled at them.  
"Couldn't it have waited?" Lenny sighed, standing up and drinking the last bit of coffee in his mug.  
"Zoe's right..." Linda said. "We should have started ten minutes ago."  
"Oh, right." Lenny said, and ran to the staff room in search of some scrubs. "Bye!"  
"Men." Zoe laughed.  
"Haha." Linda said, and ran off in search of some of her own scrubs.

"Well aparently Lenny is good in bed." was the first thing Zoe said to Sam when they were alone.  
"Ooooh is he?" Sam smirked.  
"Thats what Linda said." Zoe smiled.  
"She's a lucky girl..." Sam laughed.  
"Yeah she is. He's got the looks and everything." Zoe said. "Shame he doesn't go for the older woman."  
"Haha Zoe." Sam said. "You have Nick! He is great too."  
"I know. He's better." Zoe laughed, and got back to work. The conversation had made Sam uncomfortable, even though she didn't show it.

On her lunch break, Linda walked into the staff room to get her money for lunch, and Sam was at the table staring at a chess piece.  
"Whats that?" Linda asked, seeing Sams intent stare.  
"A king." Sam whispered.  
"Is it yours?"  
"No. Its Dylans."  
"Oh." Linda asked. "Where is he anyway? Havent seen him."  
"He left." Sam gulped.  
"When?"  
"Friday." Sam said, and clenched her hands into fists.  
"Oh." Linda said. "Did he even say good bye?"  
"Sort of. He left me this." Sam carried on staring at the king on her table.  
"Oh." Linda said, and Sam banged her fists on the table.  
"Why did he have to leave?" Sam cried. "I loved him."  
"I know you did." Linda said, pulling her into a hug. "Maybe this is for the best. He has moved on, and you should too."  
"I don't think I can." Sam shook her head as a tear fell into her lap. "It has already been two years, and im still not over it."  
"It will take a while." Linda said.  
"Well its taking a bit longer than a while." Sam said, pushing Linda away. "He left, giving me around eight hours notice. Who does that?"  
"Im sorry Sam." Linda said, walking up to her.  
"Please, just give me some space." Sam said, leaning against her locker.  
"Im sorry." Linda said, and left the room.  
"Linda wait." Sam said. She realised she had been a bit harsh. Linda had already gone.

Sam sank down the lockers and sobbed to herself. She was upset over Dylan leaving, and now she was upsetting her friends.  
"Im a horrible person." She whispered to herself, wiping tears away. She stood up after a few minutes as she knew someone would walk in. She looked in the mirror to clean herself up, and went back to work.

"Hey Linda." Zoe said, approaching her in cubicles.  
"Hey Zoe." Linda said.  
"Whats wrong?"  
"Nothing." Linda shook her head. "It doesn't matter."  
"Tell me." Zoe pressed, and Linda sighed.  
"Sam's mad at me and I don't know why, and I have to go to a funeral on Sunday."  
"Oh." Zoe said, knowing in her head that it was her sisters funeral. "I can have a word with Sam if you want."  
"No, don't." Linda said. "I don't want any trouble."  
"Okay, if you are sure." Zoe said.  
"Hey." Nick said, spinning Zoe around and kissing her on the lips.  
"Hey." Zoe said, smiling up at him.  
"Hey Linda. Did you enjoy your weekend?"  
"Yeah, I did thanks." Linda smiled, and walked away, leaving them both together.  
"What are we going to do tonight?" Nick asked Zoe, as she closed the gap between them.  
"What do you want to do?" She asked, tilting her head upwards to she could kiss him again.  
"A quiet night in?" He suggested. "Just us two?"  
"Sure." She said, kissing him again.  
"Great." He said, walking awaytowards his office, and Zoe watched him walk.


	30. Chapter 30

"Linda, cubicle six. 15 year old girl with laceration to her left arm." Tess said, handing Linda file.  
"Okay." Linda said, walking off towards cubicle six. She pulled back the curtain to reveal a distressed young girl and her mother. "Im Nurse Andrews, you can call me Linda. Whats your name?"  
"Emily." She said.  
"Okay. Can you tell me what happened?" Linda said, as she began to assess.  
"I was trying to cut bread." Emily said. "I slipped."  
"Okay." Linda said. "The cut is quite deep, but it will only need stitches. I will need to clean it before hand, which might sting."  
"Can I do it on my own?" Emily said, looking at her mother. Her mother looked concerned.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"Because I want to." Emily said, and looked to Linda. "Please?"  
"Sorry." Linda said to Emily's mother. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You can come back when we have finished."  
"But i'm her mother!" She said.  
"Im sorry. Emily is our patient, and it is her choice."  
"But i'm her mother!" She said again. "I have right to sit with her."  
"You do if she wants you there, which she doesn't." Linda said. "Im sorry. You can come back in later."  
"Im staying with her." Her mother was getting angry.  
"Im sorry, you can't." Linda said, walking infront of her.  
"I will, and I am." She said, and bashed into Linda as she barged passed. Linda fell to the floor, hitting her head on the get.  
"Mum!" Emily shouted out. "Why did you do that!"  
"She got in my way!"  
"Woah, whats going on in here?" Jay said, picking up Linda who held her head.  
"Emily didn't want her mother in here while I did the stitches for her arm, and she said she was staying and she barged past me." Linda explained, tears in her eyes as her head stang.  
"Okay security?" Jay called, and put both handson Lindas shoulders, bending down to her height. "You alright?"  
"Yeah, fine." Linda smiled as Jay looked into her eyes.  
"Did you hit your head?" He asked.  
"Yeah." Linda said. "But i'm fine."  
"Okay. If you feel dizzy..."  
"I will tell someone. I got it." Linda said, and walked back into the cubicle.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, crying at what her mother had done.  
"Yeah, i'm fine." Linda said. "Lets get this stitched up, shall we?"  
"Yeah." Emily said. "Look, you need to know something."  
"What?" Linda asked.  
"Look at my profile, notes or whatever they are." Emily said. "I've been in and out of hospital for years, and my mum has made up a story for each one."  
"What are you saying?"  
"Im saying that my mum did this to me." Emily shook. "And this, this, this, this, and this." She showed Linda scars from many past injuries.  
"Okay." Linda said. "I can try and help you sort this out okay? But i'm going to have to get another nurse to sort this out. Is that okay?"  
"Can't you do it?" Emily asked.  
"I can, but it will take longer to sort all this out."  
"I don't care. The longer I am away from my mum, the better." Emily said with pure hatred.  
"Okay." Linda said.

She put in the stitches, and looked at Emily's notes. Sure enough, Emily had been in and out multiple times, each time it was something different. A ball to the eye in PE causing a black eye... broken rib from smashing into a wooden horse in gymnastics...  
"She didn't want to leave because she thought I would say something." Emily said. "I made her leave anyway."  
"Good on you." Linda said. "Good for getting away from it. Its better than what I did."  
"What happened to you? I hope you don't mind me asking..."  
"Its fine. My sister had been blaming me for drugs when it was really her, but my parents believed her." Linda said. "I self harmed for years."  
"Oh. Sorry." Emily said. "I admit. I have done so before." She rolled up her other sleeve. Linda rolled up her own, and it made Emily gasp.  
"Sorry." Linda said, covering it up.  
"That must have been going on for years..." Emily said, almost amazed by it.  
"It had. A decade." Linda said.  
"Oh." Emily said. "But not anymore though?"  
"No. Not anymore." Linda said, not wanting to say about her sisters death.

"Social services are on their way." Tess said, popping her head in the curtain.  
"Okay thanks Tess." Linda said.  
"You alright?" Tess mouthed to her and Linda nodded back. "Good."  
"I never thought I would say this but I don't want to live with my mum anymore." Emily said.  
"I understand." Linda said. "But who will you stay with now?"  
"I hope my dad." She said. "He lives in the area and I only see him every so often. Mum made me not tell him about what happens."  
"Oh." Linda said.  
"But I will now!" Emily said. "He deserves to know what he has done to me."

Emily began to cry, and Linda sat next to her on the bed and hugged her. Emily didn't pull away so Linda carried on.  
"Linda?" She said, sitting up.  
"Yeah?"  
"I think your head is bleeding." Emily said.  
"Oh." Linda said, putting her hand to her head. She had forgotten that she had hurt it. She pulled her hand away, and sure enough, there was blood there.

She didn't have long to think about it before Emily's mum came bursting back into the cubicle. Linda stood up as it made her jump. She gasped, as she saw that Emily's mum had a knife.  
"Let me take her, and I won't hurt you." Her voice shook with anger.  
"Thats not your decision to make." Linda said, putting her hands up to stop any trouble.  
"She's my daughter!"  
"Yeah? Well I wish I wasn't!" Emily said, shouting at her mother, and her mother pushed Linda against the wall, hand around her neck. Linda tried to gasp but it was hard to do that.  
"No. Please." She managed to get out.  
"HELP!" Emily shouted, and the hand increased the strength of its grip.  
"Whats going on?" Lenny ran in, hearing the cry for help.  
"Lenny." Linda tried to say, tears streaming down her face. Linda was running out of oxygen/.  
"Stay back!" Emily's mum said, pointing the knife towards him.  
"Put the knife down." He said, seeing Linda's scared stare. "No one will hurt you."  
"You are taking my daughter away from me!" She said, putting the knife back to Linda.  
"Please, we can sort this out." Lenny said. Linda looked at Lenny, knowing she would pass out soon. Her eyes began to roll to the back of her head as she lost all energy from her arms.

Emilys mum turned her head away from Lenny, and he knew this would be hid only chance. He crept up behind her and yanked the knife out of her hand. He held it up to her, but he wasn't planning on using it. She still held Linda on the wall. Her eyes were almost closed.

Security ran in and she let Linda go, so she slumped down the wall.  
"Linda!" Lenny said, throwing the knife down. Linda choked, and didn't have the energy to get upright. "Linda?"

Linda just cried. Lenny held her close as she got her breath back. Tess walked up behind them and placed a hand on Lindas shoulder.  
"Lets get you into a cubicle." Tess said, helping Lenny to pull her upright. Linda cuddled closer to Lenny as he lead her to cubicle two.

She was really shaken up. Someone just choked her, trying to kill her,just because she wouldn't let her in the same room as her daughter while Emily got stitches.

Linda was in a daze as Tess checked her over. She didn't listen to anything Lenny or Tess said, and she still felt light headed.  
"You have quite a bit of bruising around your neck already..." Tess said to her, but Linda didn't take in a word of it. "Linda?"  
"Hello? Earth to Linda?" Lenny said, waving his hand infront of her face.

Linda shut her eyes, and then paled, and fell against the bed.  
"Linda?" Tess said, checking her pupils. "Linda?"  
"Linda?" Lenny asked,watching with worry. He put his fingers to her wrist to feel her pulse. "Pulse is fine."  
"Give her a bit of oxygen." Tess said. "She got deprived of it earlier."  
"She was away with the fairies then, huh?" Lenny said, stroking her hair.  
"Yeah she was." Tess said, wiping her face to get rid of the tears. Linda's eyes opened then and she started crying. "Shh shh. Its alright."  
"Ow." Linda rasped as her hands flew to her neck. Her throat hurt like crazy.  
"Ill get her a drink." Tess said, and left the room, leaving them both alone.  
"What happened?" She whispered, which still hurt her throat.  
"You got choked by a patients mother." Lenny said. "She held you to the wall tight. Your neck is bruised."  
"Oh." she winced.  
"You were awake for a while but you didn't listen to us or look at us. You were just staring into space and then just fell backwards." He explained.  
"Oh." She said again, and she shut her eyes tiredly.  
"Tess will be back in a minute." Lenny said, still stroking her hair.  
"That woman scared the hell out of me." Linda said. "Thought she was going to kill me!"  
"So did I, for a while." Lenny said sadly. "But she didn't. I pulled the knife out of her hand."  
"You did?" Linda whispered. "You saved me Lenny."  
"I did." He smiled, and ran his fingers through her hair. He pulled them out and there was blood there. "What happened to your head?"  
"Huh?" Linda asked.  
"Your head." Lenny said. "Its bleeding."  
"Oh." She said. "That woman barged past me earlier and I fell over. I didn't know it was bleeding until earlier."  
"Let me look at it." He said, and Linda tilted her sore neck. "Its quite deep."  
"Oh." Linda said. "It didn't hurt that much."  
"Here you go." Tess said, bringing Linda a nice cup of fruit tea.  
"Thanks." Linda said taking the drink.  
"Feeling better?"  
"Yeah." Linda nodded.  
"She has a cut on her head. That bloody woman pushed her." Lenny said, showing Tess the cut.  
"She didn't push. She barged passed me to get to her daughter."  
"Against your instructions." Lenny said.  
"Im going to inform the police." Tess said.  
"They have already been informed. Her daughter, Emily, told me she gets abused by her and made me check her notes. Its true, or so the notes show." Linda said.  
"Okay." Tess said, and went to find the police so Linda could give a statement.


	31. Chapter 31

"So, Miss Andrews, what happened?" DCI Rippon asked.  
"Well, her daughter had to have stitches, and she didn't want her mother in the room. I explained to her that Emily, the daughter, didn't want her mother there with her, so I asked her to leave. Shestarted shouting at me and kind of stormed past me, making me fall into the side of the bed."  
"Do you have any proof?"  
"Sure." Linda said, tilting her head and parting her hair.  
"You hit your head, when you fell?"  
"Yes." Linda nodded. "Needed five stitches."  
"Okay. What happened next?" Yvonne asked.  
"I was doing the stitches and Emily told me what really happened. Originally, the story was that she had slipped when cutting bread, but Emily said her mother did it. She told me to look at the notes because she had been in countless times with little 'accidents'. She said that the reason her mother didn't want to leave was because she didn't want Emily to say anything."  
"Okay." She finished writing up notes.  
"Then her mother walked in again with a knife in her hand." Linda began to feel nervous. She was going to have to relive the whole thing again to explain to the police.  
"Um..." She said, unsure of how to start. "She shoved me against the wall, her hand tight around my throat."  
"How tight?"  
"Tight enough for me not to breath and tight enough to make bruises come up soon after." Linda said, tears in her eyes.  
"Could we see these bruises?" Linda nodded and tilted her head back. She didn't need to point them out as they were a deep purple already. "Okay. What happened next?"  
"Lenny came in, asking what happened." Linda sniffed. "Thats all I remember. I was really lightheaded after that, and nearly passed out."  
"Okay. You have done really well." DCI Rippon said. "Thank you for your time."  
"Thanks." Linda said, got up and left. Now it was Lenny's turn.  
"You alright?" Lenny asked, just as he was about to go in.  
"Yep." Linda croaked. Her throat was still sore.

She saw Tess a few meters away and she motioned for her to go and see her. Linda walked over there as she heard the door slam shut behind her, making her jump. Tess walked to meet her, and wrapped her arms around Linda while she sobbed into her shoulder. It was impossible not to feel safe in Tess's arms.

"So, Dr Lyons." Yvonne said. "What did you see that happened?"  
"I heard Emily shout for help and I knew Linda was working on that patient." Lenny said. "I walked in, and saw Linda being pressed hard against the wall by the girl's mother, who was also holding a knife."  
"So the mother was holding a knife to Linda as well as having her pressed against the wall?" DCI Rippon asked.  
"Yes." Lenny said.  
"Continue."  
"The mother took her eyes off me for a few seconds, so I knew I had to do something. I grabbed the knife and pulled it out of her hands, and held it up to her."  
"You threatened her with a knife?"  
"Yes, but I didn't intend to use it. It was just to try and keep the mother away from the both of us until security got there."  
"I see." Yvonne said. "Anything else?"  
"No. I held the knife and security got there a few seconds later." Lenny said. "Linda was dazed though, afterwards. She wouldn't talk, stared into space, and then she passed out a few minutes later."  
"Okay. Thank you Dr Lyons. We have all we need."  
"Okay." Lenny said, getting up to leave. "Thank you."

He walked out, thinking to see Linda there, but she wasn't there. He walked around and tried to find her. He soon found her in Tess's office. She was drinking another hot cup of tea with Tess and having a little chat with her. Lenny didn't want to intrude, so he got back to work.

"Hey Zoe." Nick said. "Have you seen Linda anywhere?"  
"Have you not heard?" Zoe asked.  
"Heard what?" He asked, worried. He saw the look on her face.  
"One of her patients mother held her up the the wall with a knife in hand and choked her!" Zoe said, nearly panicking.  
"Is she alright?"  
"I don't know. I haven't seen her." Zoe said, taking a sip of water.  
"Okay." Nick said. "Let me know if you hear anything else." He looked down at Zoe and kissed her, which made her relax. He put his arms around her and she leaned into him.  
"Such a big softie Mr Jordan." Zoe said, closing her eyes in contentment.  
"I know." He said, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Are you alright?" Tess asked Linda in her office.  
"Im fine." Linda said. "My throat is really sore."  
"I know." Tess said sympathetically. "Could I have a look at it?"  
"Sure." Linda said, tilting her head back until it hurt. Her neck was stiff.  
"That is quite severe bruising..." Tess said. "An icepack would help it though."  
"I will get one later." Linda said, taking another sip of her tea. "Is Emily alright? I haven't seen her since, you know."  
"She is talking with social services." Tess said. "I haven't seen anyone try so hard to get away from their mother."  
"I know." Linda said. "I hope she gets what she wants."  
"Me too." Linda said. "I had probably get back to work. Nick will kill me."  
"No." Tess said. "Im taking you off duty for today."  
"Oh." Linda said. "Thank you."  
"Its no problem." Tess smiled, as Linda put the mug down.  
"Bye." She waved as she left.  
"Bye. Feel better." Tess said, and took the mug ready to wash it.

"Linda!" Zoe called as she saw her walk out of Tess's office. "I heard what happened! Are you alright?"  
"Im fine." Linda smiled.  
"I guess your throat is sore?" Zoe said, hearing her speak.  
"Yeah, look." Linda said, and showed her the bruises.  
"That looks like it hurt." Zoe cringed.  
"Yeah it did."  
"Did it knock you out?" Zoe asked.  
"Well, I was really lightheaded as she held me there and I can't remember anything else. I woke up on a bed, but Lenny told me I was awake but in a daze."  
"Weird." Zoe said. "Did Tess take you off duty?"  
"How did you know?" Linda asked.  
"She always looks out for her nurses." Zoe said. "Whenever something happens to one of you guys, she will take you off duty for the day."  
"Good ole' Tess." Linda said, and smiled.  
"Yeah." Zoe smiled. "So whats your plan for the day now?"  
"Find Lenny I guess." She shrugged.  
"Okay. Id help but I need to work." She said, as Jeff and Dixie rolled in another RTA.  
"Okay." Linda said, and walked to cubicles to try and find him.

"Sam?" Lenny said in the staff room, seeing her hold a knife.  
"What?" She asked, tears streaming down her face.  
"Don't do this." Lenny asked, as she put the knife to her wrists.  
"Why not?" She said. "I have nothing to live for.  
"You do! You have everything! You will get to find a nice man, you have a great job."  
"I don't have a great job. I should be working in the army but they won't let me back." Sam said, pressing the knife to her wrist just to make a little scrape.  
"Well, what about Tom? He is a great friend. All of your collegues..." Lenny tried to make her stop.  
"They wont care." Sam said, shaking with sobs.  
"They will! I know I will!" He said, but he didn't get a reply. "What about Linda?" She took a sharp intake of breath so Lenny knew he was getting somewhere. "She thinks you are trying to cope. What is she going to think if you do it again?"  
"I will be one less thing to worry about." Sam said.  
"She loves you Sam." Lenny said. "If you do this, she will think that she can't stop. You are one of her best friends. She is supposed to me able to trust you."  
"Like I said. I will be one less thing to worry about."  
"No, you will be one more thing for her to think about everyday." Lenny said. "You will make her think that she won't ever be able to stop." He didn't get a reply. "She won't be able to cope if you do this. You are the one helping her stop all of this."

Sam dropped the knife and it clattered to the floor. Lenny causiously walked up to her and picked up the knife, putting it on the table. He knelt down beside Sam.  
"You're a great friend to her Sam. She won't like it if you do this again."  
"Sorry." Sam said. "Its sometimes just the only thing I can think about."  
"Just please, if you ever think of doing it again, come to one of us." Lenny said. "We can help you stop like I just did. You were lucky I walked in and found you here."  
"Yeah." Sam said with tears all down her face. "Im sorry."  
"Don't be." Lenny said, and handed her a tissue. Linda walked in and Sam gasped. She didn't want Linda to see her like this, but then Sam saw the bandages.  
"What happened to you?" Sam asked, quickly standing up and walking over to her.  
"I got choked." Linda said. "By a patients mother."  
"Oh." Sam said, looking at the bruise. "Here." Sam said, going over to the freezer in there. She pulled out an ice pack, and handed it to her.  
"Thanks." Linda said, and pressed it against the bruises. "Aaah thats better."  
"Thought it would be." Sam said.  
"Anyway whats going on?" Linda asked. "Were you crying?"  
"Yes..." Sam said. "I was thinking about doing something... But then Lenny helped me stop."  
"Helping everyone today aren't you Lenny." Linda smiled at him.  
"I like to help." He said. "Its my job."  
"I'd better get back to work..." Sam said, wiping her eyes again. "Thank you so much. Both of you."  
"Its fine." Lenny said.  
"No problem." Linda replied as Sam left the room.

"How are you feeling?" Lenny asked Linda.  
"Incredibly sore." Linda said. "The ice pack is working wonders though."  
"Good." Lenny said, walking up to her. He put his arms on her waist.  
"Sam was going to self harm again." Linda whispered.  
"I know." Lenny said. "But don't worry. She is trying to stop it."  
"Im trying to stop too!" Linda said. "What if I crack like that?"  
"You have me." Lenny said. "I will make sure that I help you stop it. However long it takes."  
"Thank you." Linda said leaning her head on his chest.  
"Its fine." He said, and he rubbed her back while they embraces.  
"I love you Lyons." She whispered.  
"I love you too Andrews." He whispered back.


	32. Chapter 32

The week passed with no more drama, just normal working days treating normal patients. Lenny and Linda had made plans that Lenny would move in with Linda, but the decision about the kids still hadn't been made.

It was the day of the funeral, and Linda was shaking with fear as she stood in front of her mirror with her black clothes on. It was a short black dress with black tights and loose black cardigan.  
"You look beautiful." Lenny said, sneaking up behind her, making her jump.  
"Thank you." She whispered. She looked at herself in the mirror again and sighed. Lenny took hold of her from behind. She turned her head to the left where his face was resting on her shoulder, and she kissed him. "Im scared."  
"I know." Lenny said. "I'll look after you." That made her smiled. She stepped out of the hug, and began to apply her make up. She tried the eye liner but soon gave up as her hands were shaking. She stuck with the mascara and the foundation. She made sure that the mascara was waterproof though.

"I think we had better get going." Lenny said, as Linda walked down the stairs in her black high heels. She sighed.  
"Okay." She said, clenching and unclenching her hands. She looked at them, and they were clammy.  
"You alright?"  
"Yeah. Fine." Linda said, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel before adjusting the strap on her heels.  
"Shall we go?" He asked.  
"Yeah." Linda said, taking one last look at herself in the mirror. She tried to wipe the worried expression off her face.  
"You look fine." Lenny said, and took hold of her hand, pulling her to him and kissing him. She kissed him back, trying to hold back tears at the thought of where she was going.

They got in the car and drove to the graveyard in silence. Linda was daydreaming whilst looking out of the passenger window, leaning her head against it. Lenny didn't want to start a conversation as he didn't know how to.

Arriving, Linda was still trying to hold the tears back as she saw the small crowd of people. She wondered how many more people were going to show up. She hoped it wasn't a huge group.

Getting out of the car, her eyes stang with tears but she blinked them away. She shut the door with a little more force than necessary, and Lenny walked around the car to meet her.  
"Come on." He said, taking hold of her hand, and they walked up to meet the crowd together. She was glad that he was there with her. She could never do this on her own.

They took their positions, and Linda was growing even more panicked. Lenny put his arm around her, and she felt a little bit more relaxed, but Lenny could still feel her shaking.

The funeral passed with her parents saying speeches, and Linda did cry. Lenny had never seen her so upset. He had seen her cry many times now, but this was the time she had cried the hardest. He pulled her closer to him as Polly and James did their part, and Linda had a flower to lay by the coffin.

It came to the time for her to lay it there, but her feet didn't want to move.  
"Lenny. I can't do it." Linda shook her head in a whisper. "I can't move."  
"Let me do it." Lenny said, and Linda looked at her feet while she gave Lenny the flower. He let go of her, and walked up to put the flower down. He turned around and saw her pale and swaying slightly. He walked briskly back to her and pulled her close to hold her upright.  
"It will be over soon." He said, kissing the top of her head. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Thank God for waterproof mascara, she thought.

By the time the funeral service had finished, Lenny was holding a big amount of Linda's weight, and her eyes were red and sore.  
"Lets get back to the car, yeah?" Lenny said, rubbing her shoulders.

Lenny half carried and walked with Linda to the car, and was glad when they arrived. They had avoided talking to her parents, as it wouldn't help Linda.  
"Feel better?" He knelt beside her and touched her face.  
"A bit." She smiled, knowing her sister was at peace again.  
"Here." Lenny said, offering her a sweet.  
"No thanks." She said.  
"Take one." He said. "It will help bring up your blood sugar. You look really pale at the minute."  
"Oh." She said. "Okay." She took a sweet, and when she had finished it, she did feel a lot better.  
"Lets go home." Lenny said, standing up and walking around to the other side of the car and getting in. He turned the key in the ignition after seeing Linda shut her door and do up her seatbelt. "We are going to have to be up early for tomorrow. Early shift."  
"Ugh." Linda said. "What time?"  
"We start at seven." Lenny said.  
"Its not too bad." Linda said. "Could be worse."  
"Yeah I guess." Lenny shrugged.

They drove home mostly in silence, until Lenny couldn't bare to have no sound around him. He turned on the radio and they listened to that to the rest of the way home.

They got back at four thirty and the first thing Linda did was get changed. Her heels were making her feet ache.  
"Im going to have a bath." Linda said glumly, and walked upstairs in her bare feet. She got some more comfortable clothes and took them with her into the bathroom. She ran the bath so that it wasn't too hot but was just right. She turned the radio on and stepped into the bath once she was dressed.

Lenny knew this would be a chance to cheer her up. He wanted to cook her a meal so he thought about what to cook. Pasta, pizza, chicken... He chose pasta. He had a jar of tomato pasta sauce in the cupboard so he got that ready. He put pasta in a saucepan full of water and turned on the hob.

After around ten minutes, he put the sauce on too so they would be done at the same time, and soon it was finished. He got plates out and dished the food out evenly over the two plates. He took them into the dining room just in time, as Linda came down the stairs. Lenny just had time to light a candle or two before she saw the room.  
"Whats all this?" She smiled, looking at the candles and the food.  
"Dinner." Lenny smiled back.  
"You made this?" Linda asked.  
"Yeah." Lenny said, and pulled out her chair.  
"Thank you." Linda said happily. "Why?"  
"I wanted to cheer you up." Lenny said, and poured them both a glass of red wine. "Tuck in."  
"Okay." Linda said, and took a forkfull of pasta into her mouth. "Mmm. Its good." She said with a mouthful.  
"Great." Lenny said, and took his first mouthful. "It is." Linda laughed.

They enjoyed their dinner, and then they watched the TV for the remainder of the evening. Laying in bed while Lenny was asleep, Linda had time to think about the day.

She had said a proper good by to her sister, and thinking about this made tears flow again. Her sister was gone now, hopefully to a better place. There would be no more drugs there, and hopefully no more self harm for Linda. Now it was just Sam...

Linda lay awake most of the night, and soon gave up trying to sleep when it was five. She snuck out of the bed trying not to wake Lenny, and she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She made herself a coffee as she knew that the day would be extremely hard without it. She didn't feel like eating anything yet because it was so early, so she went into the living room and sat there sipping her coffee.

She sat for the majority of the hour she had left sitting in silence. She heard an alarm go off upstairs and she walked there to meet Lenny.  
"Before you ask, I couldn't sleep." Linda said, wiping her eyes and putting down her empty coffee mug.  
"Oh." Lenny said. "Do you want to go to work? Or pull a sicky?"  
"Im going to work." Linda said. "My mind has only been thinking about yesterday, and I need to think of something different."  
"Okay." Lenny said. "We had better get ready."

Lenny took had a quick shower and got dressed while Linda did, as she had a shower the night before. Linda felt lousy. She was tired, she didn't want to really go into work, but it would help take her mind off things. She didn't choose anything fancy to wear as she knew her scrubs would cover it.

They arrived at the ED a little bit early, and Linda was working in cubicles. Lenny had a quick start as an RTC arrived nearly as soon as they got there.  
"You alright?" Tess asked Linda as she walked into cubicles.  
"Fine. Tired." Linda said.  
"Couldn't sleep?"  
"No." Linda said, and wiped her eyes. "I had a lot on my mind."  
"I understand." Tess said, putting her hand on Linda's shoulder. "I won't give you anything major to do."  
"Thank you Tess." Linda smiled. Never in her life had Linda had such a nice boss, letting her slack when she didn't feel well.  
"Its fine. If you don't feel well or anything, don't hesitate to tell me." She warned.  
"I won't don't worry." Linda smiled, and Tess gave her a patient file to work on which was only a cut that needed dressing.

"Linda?" Zoe asked, catching up on a lunch break.  
"Yeah?" Linda asked, looking up, and Zoe could see she hadn't had a good night sleep.  
"How was... yesterday?" She asked.  
"Not great." Linda said. "I was a wreck."  
"Oh." Zoe said.  
"Seriously." Linda said. "I cried so much Lenny had to pretty much carry me back to the car because I couldn't walk."  
"That bad huh?" Zoe asked. "Do you feel a bit better now?"  
"A lot." Linda said. "Just tired. Couldn't sleep at all last night."  
"I can tell..." Zoe said.  
"Great." Linda replied.  
"Don't get me wrong. I don't mean it in a bad way." Zoe smiled. "You just look quite tired."  
"Okay." Linda said. "Tess gave me light duty today."  
"Good ole' Tess." Zoe said.  
"She's a great boss." Linda said.  
"I know." Zoe smiled. "I'd better get back to work..."  
"Thats fine." Linda said. "I should too."  
"Why don't you go and ask Tess if you can lie down for a bit in the on call room?" Zoe asked.  
"Good idea.." Linda said, getting up and leaving the room with Zoe.

They parted their ways and Linda walked up to Tess.  
"You alright?"  
"Yeah." Linda nodded. "Do you mind if I have a lay down in the on call room?"  
"No, go ahead." Tess said. "Feel better."  
"Thank you." Linda said, and going to the on call room.

She walked in and found it vacant, so she layed down on the bed and pretty much as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

Lenny was looking for Linda a few hours later after his job died down a bit.  
"Have you seen Linda?" He asked Noel.  
"No, sorry mate." He said. "Ask Tess. She was talking to her earlier."  
"Oh okay, thanks." Lenny said.

"Tess? Do you know where Linda is?" Lenny asked, as he stepped into her office.  
"It would be nice if you could knock next time." Tess tutted.  
"Sorry."  
"She is in the on call room. She wanted to lay down for a bit."  
"Okay." Lenny said.  
"Please don't disturb her." Tess asked. "She was very tired."  
"I know." Lenny said. "I won't."

He went to the on call room anyway, and slowly opened the door. He smiled at Linda getting some rest, and decided her would have a rest too. He shut the door and climbed over Linda, and cuddled up behind her. He shut his eyes to snooze, but then ended up falling asleep aswell.

"Where is Lenny?" Zoe asked Tess. "We are a doctor down and I can't find him."  
"He went to check on Linda in the on call room." Tess said.  
"Is she alright?"  
"Yeah, just tired." Tess said.  
"Anyway thank you." Zoe asked, and went to find them.

She opened the door slowly, not wanting to wake Linda if she was asleep. She smiled inside seeing them cuddled up together, both sleeping. She took out her phone and took a photo, looked at it and thought it would make a good hospital wallpaper. She sniggered.

She walked over to Lenny and shook him gently, careful not to wake Linda.  
"Oi. Wake up." Zoe said. "We are a doctor down and we need you."  
"Oh okay." He yawned and sat up. Linda must have been tired as she didn't stir at them making noise. Lenny saw Zoe put her phone back in her pocket while she laughed to herself. "What?" He asked.  
"Oh, nothing." Zoe said. "Joke I heard earlier."  
"Okay." Lenny said, not believing her.


	33. Chapter 33

Lenny walked in to the reception after his shift to find Zoe, Tess, Noel, Nick, Jay and Big Mac all surrounding the hospital computer, laughing.  
"Whats so funny?" He asked, almost laughing at them all. Big mac turned the monitor around and everyone began laughing again. "Who took that?" Zoe looked away. "Zoe..."  
"Yes...?" She smirked.  
"It was you wasn't it? When you went to wake me up?"  
"Maybe..." She chuckled.  
"Its actually quite a good picture." Lenny smiled. "Print it off for me."  
"Really?" Zoe asked.  
"Yeah." Lenny said. "I like it."  
"Great." Zoe said,clapping her hands together, and walked off to the printer.

Lenny walked up the the on call room to find Linda still asleep. He didn't want to wake her but he needed to go home with her.  
"Linda..." Lenny said gently shaking her awake.  
"Huh?" Linda said, and she opened her eyes to see Lenny out of her scrubs. "Oh! What time is it?"  
"Just gone four." Lenny said, helping her up.  
"Really? Wow." Linda said, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She looked up at Lenny and kissed him, and he kissed her back.  
"Lets go." He said, and they walked out of the ED.

"Whats everyone looking at?" Linda asked, seeing everyone look at them, and then the monitor.  
"This." Lenny said, and handed her the print out.  
"Oh." Linda said, looking at it. She smiled.  
"Aww." Linda said. "You slept with me? I didn't know!"  
"You were really tired." Lenny said. "I made a lot of noise aswell, I was surprised that you didn't wake up."  
"Me too." Linda said. "Im normally a light sleeper!"  
"Not when you are shattered." Lenny said, and took hold of her hand.

"Linda." Tess said, finishing her shift. "Feeling better?"  
"Yeah, a lot." Linda smiled. "Thanks for letting me sleep."  
"Its fine." Tess said. "Hope you sleep well tonight."  
"Thanks." Linda said, and they all said good bye and walked out of the ED together.

The next day, Linda was in for a shock when Emily ran into the ED.  
"Help me. Help!" Emily ran up to Linda.  
"Emily?" Linda said, holding her by her shoulders to look at her face. She had a black eye and the cut on her arm had reopened.  
"My mum got released on bail. She did this to me!" Emily cried.  
"Okay, get in cubicles for me." Linda said, and pulled her in. "Did your mum follow you?"  
"I think so." Emily said, wiping her eyes and wincing when she touched her swollen one.  
"Okay. Tess, call security?"  
"Sure." Tess said, and got on the phone straight away.

"What happened?" Linda asked.  
"She came and found me in the foster home and hit me and kept grabbing me so I ran for it." Emily said. "I don't know what to do."  
"Shh." Linda said. "We will find her."  
"She won't come in here will she?" Emily asked,shaking. Linda looked out of the curtain and there were security men there.  
"No. Look. There are security here." Linda said, showing Emily. "She won't hurt you again." Linda heard her sobbing.  
"Why don't you let me get an icepack for that eye, and let me sort out your arm?"  
"Okay." Emily said, shaking with sobs.

"Here." Linda said, handing Emily an icepack. Emily sighed with relief as it came in to contact with her eye.  
"I can't believe my own mother would do this to me." Emily said while Linda dressed her arm. "I mean, she was my mother! What mother hurts her own child?"  
"Mine." Linda said. "She shut me out for ten years."  
"I remember you saying." Emily said. "But she didn't hit you."  
"No. But words hurt just the same."  
"But they don't bruise." Emily said, and looked at her arm.  
"No." Linda said. "But they do just as much damage mentally."  
"I guess." Emily said, taking her eyes off her arm.  
"Are you alright?" Linda asked, seeing her wince.  
"Im a little dizzy, but im fine."  
"Do you want to lay down?"  
"Yes please." Emily said, and Linda lowered the head of the bed to it was level to the rest.

Just then the curtains burst open and Emilys mum is stood there. The one few minutes the security guards take their eyes off them. She swung a bat at Linda.  
"Linda look out!" Sam screamed and ran in front of them, taking the blast. She fell to the floor holding her chest as the bat had battered her ribs. Linda tried to grab the bat.  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Emily's mother said, pulling a gun out of her pocket.  
"Woah woah." Linda said, surrendering her arms. "Put the gun down." She pressed a button on her pocket which would page Zoe.  
"Stay back!" She screamed, and Sam was sat trying to get her breath back as the hit had winded her.  
"You alright Sam?" Linda whispered, recieving a nod.  
"Shut up!" Emily's mum shouted, pointing the gun to Linda's head. Now was the time to panick.

Zoe went up outside the curtain, and she heard the commosion and the security guards posed outside.  
"Get the police here. Now." Zoe whispered to them, and they radiod in for back up.

"Why?" Sam whispered, trying to catch her breath.  
"Shut up!" The gun was now being shown her way.  
"Why would you do that to your daughter?" Sam asked.  
"I said, shut up!" Her mother spat. "Do you want to die?"  
"No..."  
"Then be quiet for gods sake!" She shouted, oblivious to the arrival of the police.

Linda looked to her left and saw a little gap in the curtain. She could see Zoe stood there, and she mouthed 'Stay calm'. Linda nodded at her. The police were poised outside the curtain, and one of them had a tazer..  
"Stop." One police woman said. "Use that, and it could trigger a reflex and the gun could shoot.  
"Okay." The other man said.

"Police!" They shouted, and Emily's mother laughed.  
"What are you going to do about it?" She said. "I have a bat and a gun, and Im not afraid to use them."  
"We have a tazer, and we aren't afraid to use that either." He replied.  
"Look." Linda said. "I need to check on my collegue. If you would let me just check on her..."  
"No. Stay still." She said.  
"I need to check on her." Linda said, inching closer.  
"Stop Linda." Sam said.  
"Listen to her." Emily's mother said. "She see's sense."  
"Well she needs treatment, and so does your daughter, so if you let me treat them, you can do whatever you want to me. Okay?"  
"Stay put." She said again, finger twitching on the trigger.

That did it for the police. The man went against the police womans actions and fired the tazer. The police woman tried to stop him before it was too late, knocking him. The tazer missed Emily's mother, but hit Sam.

She let out an earpiercing screach and her muscles had amind of their own. It calmed down after a while and it had made Sam try even harder to get her breath back.  
"Sam!" Linda said, running over to her.  
"Don't move a muscle." Emily's mother said.  
"Look at what you have done!" Linda said, motioning towards Sam. "You are a monster!"  
"I am not a monster. I am a human being!"  
"No human being does this to their daughter, or that to a doctor!" Linda spat back.  
"Look out there." Linda said. "You have guns pointed on you. So if you shoot me, you get shot. If you don't shoot me, you don't get shot."  
"What if I want to get shot?" She asked.  
"Then shoot yourself." Linda shrugged. "Not innocent people!"

That made Emily's mother think. After several minutes of silence, the gun was thrown on the floor and the police barged in, draggin Emily's mother out of the room.  
"Sam?" Linda said, running over.  
"Is she alright?" Zoe asked, rushing over with the crowd of doctors watching on.  
"No." Linda said. "She took a fair beating to her chest, which winded her, and she just got tazered."  
"Cant...breath." Sam managed to gasp.  
"Okay, Lenny, get us a trolley and lets put her on oxygen. Now!" She said, and made all of the doctors watching get straight back to work to help their injured collegue.

By the time they got her into resus, she was tachicardic and and unconscious as she didn't have enough oxygen getting into her lungs.  
"Pulse is thready." Lenny said, fingers to her throat.  
"Come on Sam." Linda said, watching on.  
"That tazer did not do her any good at all." Zoe tutted.

They heard beeping surround the room.  
"Sats are dropping. She's gone into cardiac arrest." Lenny said.  
"Okay, begin CPR." Zoe instructed, and Linda couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"I will get the next of kin on the phone..." Tess said, and walked out.

She found Sam's records and found the number for the next of kin. She rang it, and was surprised when someone she knew answered.

"Dylan?"


	34. Chapter 34

"Yes Tess?"  
"I," She hesitated. "Im ringing on behalf of Sam... aparently you are her next of kin."  
"Oh." Dylan said. "What has she done now?"  
"She got hit in the chest and then tazered." Tess said.  
"Oh?" Dylan sounded surprised. He thought she was up to more self harm. "How?"  
"She was protecting Linda. Someone walked up to hit her and Sam jumped in the way, and the police tazered her by accident..." Tess trailed off.  
"Tess?"  
"She has gone into cardiac arrest." Tess said, and she heard the end of the phone beep. Dylan had hung up. "Typical."

She walked back into resus to see doctors no longer doing CPR.  
"She stable?" She asked, walking in.  
"Yes, did you get Dylan on the phone?" Zoe asked, checking all Sams vital signs.  
"Yes. Was it only me that didn't know about Dylan and Sam?" Tess asked.  
"No. It was only me, Nick and Linda." Zoe explained. "She wanted to keep it quiet."  
"Oh, I understand." Tess said, remembering Dylans weird sense of humor and personality.

"Linda?" Sam said as she came around. She pulled off the oxygen mask and gasped for air. "Linda!"  
"Im here, im here." Linda said, walking up the bed with tearful eyes. "I am so sorry."  
"For what?"  
"For getting you hurt!" Linda said."  
"What exactly happened?" She asked, confused.  
"You jumped in the way of a bat and got bruised ribs, and then the police tried to taze the woman but got you instead."  
"I got tazed?" Sam said. "Woah."  
"Yeah." Linda said. "Did they tell you what happened?"  
"No." Sam said. "Pass me my notes."  
"Okay." Linda said, and Sam read the notes.

"Oh my god." Sam said, eyes filling with tears. "I died?"  
"Yeah." Linda said, eyes filling with tears again. "But..."  
"Im complaining about the police. They should know not to taze someone with a gun." Sam said.  
"I know." Linda said. "It was stupid."  
"In a way, i'm glad it missed and hit me."  
"What?" Linda asked, confused. "Why?"  
"Because if they hit her, she could have shot you." Sam said. "I didn't want that to happen."  
"I would prefer that over you getting tazed!" Linda said.  
"But you have so much to live for! You have such a nice man looking after you, and I didn't want that all to disappear." Sam said, thinking about her life with Dylan.  
"So do you." Linda said. "If not the right man, then there will be one for you somewhere."

Then Dylan rushed in, and Sam burst into tears seeing him. He walked over and took hold of her hand.  
"Im so sorry Dylan." Sam cried to him, and Linda left the room silently to give them some privacy.  
"For what?" He asked.  
"For making you come back." Sam said. "I know you didn't want to."  
"Who said I didn't want to?"  
"You did. You said you were leaving, so I thought you were never coming back." Sam said. "I missed you so much Dylan. I can't believe I was so stupid to have that bloody affair when I had someone as nice as you in my life. I am so sorry."  
"I should be the one saying sorry Sam." Dylan shook his head. "I saw how sorry you were but I kept being my ignorant self, and not thinking of others. I know you made a mistake, and i'm glad you owned up to it."  
"You are?" Sam said.  
"Yes." Dylan said. "I still love you Sam."  
"I still love you too." Sam said. "Can we give it another go?"  
"Do you want to?"  
"More than anything." Sam cried, and Dylan leaned down and kissed her. Sam and Dylan had missed that contact to much, that neither wanted to move away.

They did move away however, when Zoe walked through the doors.  
"Oh you are awake!" Zoe said, completely missing the kiss between the two of them. She saw them smiling at each other.  
"What did I miss?" Zoe asked, and Sam showed her. She pulled Dylan down and kissed him, and Zoe saw that he didn't resist her hold.  
"Does that answer your question?" Sam asked.  
"Um, yes." Zoe said, smiling. "Im so happy for you."  
"Thank you." Dylan said, stepping out of the way so Zoe could do her job.  
"Does this mean you are moving back here?"  
"If you want me to, then yes."  
"Why wouldn't I want you to?" Sam asked.  
"I don't know." Dylan smiled. "I will have to go tomorrow to pick up all of my stuff. I still own the boat. I never got round to selling it."  
"Great." Sam said, as Zoe finished her check up.

"We are keeping you in for obsevation." Zoe said. "Everything seems fine at the minute."  
"Thank you Zoe." Sam said.

"Is Sam okay?" Linda asked, as Zoe walked out.  
"She is fine." Zoe said. "Did you see all that?"  
"Her making up with Dylan?" She asked. "Yes." She smiled.  
"Im so happy for them."  
"Me too!" Linda beamed, clapping her hands.  
"Are you alright?" Zoe asked.  
"Yeah, just a bit shocked, you know." Linda said. "Its not everyday someone points a gun at you."  
"True." Zoe said. "Its never happened to me so I don't know what to say. By the way how's you neck?"  
"Oh." Linda said. "The bruising has gone down quite a bit now. Look."  
"I see." Zoe said. "Thats good."  
"Yeah." Linda said. "I was sick and tired of covering it with make up. Cost me a fortune!"  
"I bet it did! The amount of concealer needed for that..."  
"A lot." Linda laughed.  
"Well i'm glad its getting better." Zoe said, and pulled her best friend in a hug.  
"I haven't had a hug like that for a while." Linda said.  
"I give the best hugs." Zoe said, laughing, and walked away to get back to work.

Linda took one last look at Sam and Dylan and walked off in search of Lenny.  
"Are you alright?" He asked her when he saw her. "I heard what happened! I was so worried!"  
"Im fine." Linda said. "Sam on the other hand..."  
"What?" Lenny said.  
"She got tazered!" Linda said.  
"While someone was there with a gun?" Lenny said. "That shouldn't have happened!"  
"I know." Linda said. "She is going to do something about it."  
"Good." Lenny said. "I would too!"  
"Me too." Linda said."  
"Well I am glad you are alright." Lenny said. "I hope you don't mind me asking... but when was the last time you cut yourself?"  
"Er, a few weeks ago maybe?" Linda said, and gasped. "Ive never gone that long without doing it before."  
"Thats great!" Lenny said, picking her up and swinging her around.  
"Lenny!" She screamed. "Put me down!"  
"Fine." Lenny said, and put her back down so her feet were in contact with the floor. "Im just happy for you."  
"Thank you." Linda said. "I actually feel a lot better inside, knowing that Sam won't be doing it again either."  
"How do you know?"  
"Dylan is back." Linda said.  
"He is?" Lenny said. "I need to speak to him."  
"Do it later." Linda said. "I need a hug."  
"Another Lyons hug? Come here." He said, and hugged her while she laughed.

The End!

I hoped you liked reading it, and left it on a happy note.  
For those wondering about Emily's mother, she got arrested. Again. :P  
As for Sam and Linda, no more self harm! Hooray!  
There will be more stories, so I hope you enjoyed this one enough to read my new ones which will most likely be posted tomorrow. If not, then the day after, and so on. I ry to update everyday.  
I had so much fun writing this one, and would like to thank Brookemarie2604 for all of the ideas she contributed! I know where to go for some great ideas... Thank you.  
Thanks again for all reading and reviewing! You guys are the best x


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